Needle in the Haystack
by Jeli
Summary: Sequel to "Dragon Scales." Voldemort is searching for the First Wand, the most powerful ever. Meanwhile, a team from Hogwarts races to recover the wand before he does. Features Minerva, Flitwick, Sprout, and, obviously, Voldemort.
1. Down in the Sinai

_Disclaimer: Need we do this? Just read on._

**Needle in the Haystack: Down in the Sinai**

From the shop came a fearsome noise that awoke Mr. Ollivander and most of Diagon Alley. It was a horrible scream that made the walls of the store tremble and the glass windows splinter.

Grabbing his wand, the owner fumbled out of bed and down the stairs, hoping to catch the intruder that set off the Presence Detectors.

Wand aimed high, Mr. Ollivander pointed into dark space. There was a faint breeze and the curtains fluttered.

The blaring of the alarm stopped, to Ollivander's relief. He switched on the lights.

Crates and boxes of wands had been overturned, and piles of them were scattered on the floor, all giving off violently colored sparks. The anxious owner began sorting out his merchandise. He would not answer any questions from the _Prophet_ reporters until everything was accounted for.

Five hours later, Mr. Ollivander had come to the conclusion that not a single wand was stolen. The press was grumbling that Mr. Ollivander's Presence Detectors were sorely out-of-date.

Convinced, Mr. Ollivander apologized to all of Diagon Alley, and attempted to update his alarm system.

***

_ _

_Dear Minerva,_

_How are you? Still staying at Hogwarts over the summer? Why don't you come visit me here in Egypt for about a month. Truth to say, I need your help. _

_Do you remember the story Mum used to read to us about the first wand ever? It's not just a story. It's based on real facts. And I'm going to try and find that wand. I'll explain more when you come. Because you ARE coming. I've got plans for one exciting summer._

_Your cousin,_

_Fiona Emherst_

_ _

P. S. Bring along a couple of colleagues if you wish. The more brains on the "project," the better.

P.P.S. Pack Muggle clothes. 

P.P.P.S. You ARE coming.

_ _

__Minerva McGonagall scowled, shaking her head. It was just like Fiona, to start out on a wild goose chase. An ancient wand indeed! Five thousand-year old wands did not sit around in perfect condition, waiting to be found and used.

However, the thought of Egypt intrigued her. Ever since Fiona had moved there to start her own wand store, she had badgered Minerva endlessly for a visit. Maybe now was the time.

Collecting the letter, McGonagall headed for Dumbledore's office.

*** 

_One week later._

"Juniper, are you ready? Gunther's already in my office." Minerva said, watching Sprout scribble final notes on a sheet of parchment.

"Wait, almost. There, done." Putting down her quill with a flourish, Sprout placed the parchment inside a box, where there were already a dozen sheets. "I've left instructions for Hagrid on the care of my plants. I hope he doesn't find the work too hard." 

She gave Minerva a quizzical look. "Did Fiona tell you anything more about the "project?"

"No. I've sent her three owls, but all she says is to wait until we're there. It's about the first wand, that's all I know."

"Do you believe her?"

McGonagall sighed exasperatedly. "Of course not. I'm going to treat this coming month as a break. I need one, after all these years."

"It was awfully nice to let us come along. I won't have to get mandrakes shipped by owl. Last time, the whole package fell on an old Muggle policeman. The Ministry was busy for weeks and I had to pay a fine for 'Improper Use of Owls.' They said I should have used a bigger one. And Gunther's wild about the curses on the pyramids."

"You should thank Fiona. She insisted on me bringing two others…"

Chatting eagerly, the two witches made their way up to McGonagall's office.

_"Incendio." _Flitwick's spell immediately lit up a fire in the hearth. "Who's going first?" 

"I will." Minerva reached into a small sack and collected a handful of Floo Powder. 

"Strange. It's pink." Commented Sprout.

"It's international Floo Powder!" Flitwick informed her. "Dumbledore had to get special permission from the Ministry."

"Cozy Niche!" McGonagall cried, throwing in the powder and stepping into the pink flames with her trunk.

The ride was nothing like typical Floo Powder traveling. Instead of spinning, Minerva could feel a kind of strange lopsided jerking, back and forth and diagonally. Everything seemed to go slowly. Through the kaleidoscope of fireplaces she could hear clips of many foreign languages, all talking very fast. A rosy mist hovered over everything, and for one moment there was a roaring of water in her ears. Her trunk bumped against her side, threatening to fall out of her grasp. _Whump._ She landed without warning in a fireplace. 

"What a ride." She muttered, brushing off the ash off her robes as best as she could. Quickly dragging her trunk away from the fireplace, she noticed a shining brass plaque on the mantelpiece labeled "Cozy Niche." But where was Fiona? Perhaps—

"Minerva!" A tall figure hurtled towards her and hugged her affectionately, knocking the breath out of her. "You're here!"

"Fiona! Nice to see you—I—d" McGonagall choked out, massaging her ribs after the viselike grip of her cousin.

_Whump. Whump. _Two crashes brought Gunther and Sprout into the living room.

Juniper Sprout shook her head, slightly dizzy from the wild journey.Sprout shook hands withFiona, a cheerful looking witch in her thirties, tanned and with hazel eyes. Her auburn hair was cut extremely short, and she wore casual robes of white.

Introductions were made all around, and Fiona reached behind her for a bowl of Muggle candy. "Would anyone like some Skittles? They're really good."

***

"So, what's this about the first wand?" Sprout asked casually that evening, after a delicious dinner of salmon and rice. (Fiona was an excellent chef.)

Fiona shrugged. "I did some research on it, and decided, what the heck, may as well try to find it."

Grinning at their surprised looks, she produced a single piece of parchment. "Read."

_The First Wand_

_In 4,333 BC, the first magical wand ever made in history was created. The inventor, Ment-Ali-Dis-A-Bled, who lived near present-day Cairo, enchanted a strong laurel branch with runes, then doused it with a powerful herbal potion. At the time, the only means of magic existed with wandless spells (there were very few), potions, or magical herbs. Wands immediately became very popular, and new spells began to develop at a startling rate. Since then, several substances have been tested for wands, including glass and stone. Wood is almost always preferred because it conducts magical currents better._

_However, Ment-Ali-Dis-A-Bled knew that his wand was very powerful. To avoid trouble, he hid it away. To this day, no one knows where it is. Several wizards and witches have attempted this search, and to our knowledge none has gotten close. Some characteristics that make this wand the most powerful ever include an unbreakable charm on its durability. This means that it can never be snapped, frayed, or splintered. Also, no matter which way you point it; the wand's tip will always be turned away from you, so that you can never curse yourself by accident._

_History tells us this much, but many families are skeptical of this story. Since all this happened over 5,000 years ago, some wizards regard this as purely a myth to entertain the young. We have very few pieces of solid evidence to prove the wand's existence, and most of our knowledge comes from inferences or educated guesses; another reason why only a few have attempted to find this wand._

"Binns taught us a bit about this in my third year." Gunther said slowly. "A wonder I can actually remember."

"If Binns can teach it, it's got to be real." Fiona jabbered excitedly. "It's--"

"Where do you plan to start?" Minerva interrupted, scowling. "This is nonsense. _If_ it exists, and _if_ we find it, it would have deteriorated by now." She looked hard at her cousin, and found her smirking triumphantly.

"If you hid a treasure, wouldn't you tell someone where it is? Most likely your son or daughter, to be passed down and down in the family."

"Well--"

"I found a poem the other day, written by a man named Jahu-A-Bled. He wrote it two months before his death. He used to own a wand store."

She was interrupted by a sound from the fireplace. Two seconds later, a disheveled woman ran into the room.

"Fiona! Your store! It's been robbed!"

_We hope you enjoyed this short part. Things will get more exciting in the next part. This is the sequel to "Dragon Scales." So read it! Review and criticize. _

_~Jeli_

_ _


	2. Unlocking the Riddles

A Needle in the Haystack II: Unlocking the Riddles

"Fiona, take it easy." Juniper Sprout shoved a cup of tea into the young witch's hands. 

Fiona was not one to be calmed, however. "Who bloody broke into my shop?"

Gunther Flitwick and Minerva McGonagall appeared. 

Looking rather excited, the tiny man squeaked, "We combed your store better than any Scotland Yards. Guess what we've found?"

He was met with an angry glare from Fiona.

"Er, anyways, getting on," he rushed, "The initial spells programmed into your Presence Detectors, model AF307, very new, state-of-the-art trinket—"

"I BOUGHT THEM. I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. NOW GET WITH IT."

Minerva took over the explaining. She was one who always got to the point. "We checked the codes in your alarms, and we found that when they were set off, it wasn't due to the detection of body heat. It was, instead, vibrations in the air. We aren't dealing with something…alive."

Sprout blinked. 

"No way." 

***

A few days past since the break-in, and everyone, including Fiona, had gotten over it. They were moving on, ready to start the big "project" of relocating the first wand.

At an open-air café, the four wizards munched and pored over the accounts of Jahu-A-Bled. It was an old, leather-bound journal filled with cryptic messages and many doodles.

"We don't even know where to start." Juniper propped her head on her elbows.

"Right-O. Does anyone know what 'a muddied thorn' is?"

"Er…maybe a cactus of some sort?"

"Gunther, there are NO cacti around here."

"But there are a lovely supply of mandrakes!" Sprout looked very excited at the idea.

"What d'y a have to say, cuz?" Fiona gave Minerva a sharp nudge. "You are, after all, the brainy one in the family."

Her cousin gave her one of her famous severe stares. "I think we ought to hear this riddle out loud."

"Ah, Min—that's sure one brilliant brainstorm. Oh, yeah."

"Cork it. Just read it."

Fiona stood up importantly and cleared her throat. She smiled and read:

__

Power lies in the staff you seek

Years have not weakened its strength.

Run a muddied thorn from the hawk-eyed one

About forty desert-ship paces.

Monthly rays will mark the way into

Incomplete camel's hump.

Depart into the place of spell for the further rhyme.

"Err, what's that supposed to mean?" Flitwick chewed thoughtfully on his salad. 

Minerva put down her napkin. "Staff…that would be the wand we're seeking."

"What a brainwave—" interrupted Fiona.

"I guess it has stayed in perfect shape all these years." Juniper said.

"Desert ships—desert ships." Fiona muttered insanely.

"What? Fiona, '40 desert ship paces' is a measurement of distance. What sort of transportation is used……"

"Camels!" Fiona practically shouted, waving her fork around wildly. "Camels! Ships of the desert!"

Gunther ducked his head as the utensil swung around again. "Okay. Camels. Calm down Fiona."

***

In another part of Egypt, a red-eyed wizard brandished his newly acquired wand at his followers. "At least you searched for me this time."

A small, dumpy man half-bowed his way to the wizard. "Does Master like his new wand?" 

"Shut up! You know what I seek! This piece of trash," He looked at the object in his hands, "This filth is not worthy of me. Only one wand has ever suited me, and it was broken by that drat woman. Now, I must rest resort to using the legendary wand. FIND IT FOR ME!"

His servants gaped silently. "It—it's real?" 

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! NOW!"

Bowing, they scrambled off, the smarter ones muttering about the library and what it would have about Ment-Ali-Dis-A-Bled.

***

"I give up." Minerva grumbled at her equally tired companions. It was almost midnight, and they still haven't made any progress, aside from the work done at the café. "We should all just go to sleep. Hawks and muddied thorns and incomplete camel humps indeed! That would make a dead camel."

"Wonderful." Juniper yawned. "Everything's just about as clear as mud."

"Yeah. Even my brain is scrambled from all this thinking." Fiona complained. "I'm going into my freezer for some ice cream."

Flitwick traced his fingers in the air. "Er—say that again, will you?"

"I'm getting out a late-night dessert. I've got tons of flavors, including Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean ice—"

The tiny man was clearly getting rapturous in his joy. He sang shrilly, "I know something you don't. I know something you don't."

Exasperated, Minerva threatened, "Well, tell us before we slice you up into thin slices of meatloaf with the blender."

There was a shocked silence. "Min!" Fiona ventured. "I never knew you had it in you—"

"Tell us." McGonagall completely ignored her cousin, instead turning to Gunther."

"Er—I forgot."

She looked ready to strangle the man. Juniper Sprout had the sensibility to hold the Transfiguration professor back.

"Mu-muddy, muddied, scrambled, muddied. See?"

"No." Fiona said flatly.

"Oh—scrambled, like muddy. Muddied thorn, scrambled thorn…"

Juniper took out her wand, tracing on the table. **_NORTH_**. 

"Wow, pure genius." Fiona grinned.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I like word puzzles. There's always a section in the _Prophet_."

Minerva stood up. "Tomorrow, we will hunt for our starting place, which out to be the 'hawk-eyed one'. As for now, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Yeah, shut-eye!"

She smiled in his direction. "Nice work, Gunther."

Fiona's voice floated in from the kitchen. "Would anyone like some ice cream?"

__

A/N: We apologize deeply for the delay. Too many school projects…math tests…etc. We believe the Sahara Desert is mainly just sand, with very few cacti. If anyone else knows differently please tell us. Now—please review, critique, tell us how to improve, insult to your heart's desire…just please do.

--Jeli

__


	3. The Hawk's Eye

_Disclaimer: forgot it on the last part, but everyone knows it all belongs to J. K. Rowling except for Fiona and a few others, right?_

_ _

Needle in the Haystack III: The Hawk's Eye

** **

****Minerva could not sleep. All night she tossed and turned, dreaming of strange thorns covered with mud, spinning around compasses. Then a keen-eyed hawk was chasing after her, screaming in rage, helped by a mutilated camel. At four in the morning she gave up trying to sleep and went into Fiona's kitchen for some breakfast. 

"Ridiculous." she muttered, staring at the riddle again. "Trying to decipher riddles of ancient objects."

She read the poem again. 

_Power lies in the staff you seek_

_Years have not weakened its strength._

_Run a muddied thorn from the hawk-eyed one_

_About forty desert-ship paces._

_Monthly rays will mark the way into_

_Incomplete camel's hump._

_ _

"Hawk-eyed one...I wonder what that could be." she frowned. The answer was there, so close. They needed to journey north by camel from the hawk-eyed one. But what was it? It sounded like a place, a specific landmark.

Suddenly she got up, abandoning her toast. She ran into Fiona's study and rummaged around for a map. It was a stretch, but maybe some Egyptian maps would help her. There was a map of Cairo, one of the Sahara Desert, one of Africa, amongst many others. They were all jumbled up, located in random places. Finally she gave up. _"Accio all maps!"_

__Minerva staggered backwards to avoid being hit from all sides. She summoned up a box and carried them back to the living room. 

One by one, the patient Transfiguration teacher examined each map carefully for any clue of a hawk. Maybe a lake in the shape of a birds' head. Maybe a town named after a raven.

Juniper Sprout woke up blearily from a sound sleep. She was startled by a sudden crash from the kitchen, accompanied by a yell, then laughter.

Upon entering the area of destruction, she found an irate Minerva with coffee inher hair, surrounded on all sides by piles of maps. A broken mug lay on the floor. Fiona was laughing unrestrainedly. 

_"Reparo."_ Sprout muttered, sending the pieces of the mug flying back together. "What happened?"

"Min just spent four hours going over maps, trying to find the hawk-eyed one." Fiona was still giggling. "I just got up and told her I knew what it was. She was so surprised the coffee cup was knocked over."

"The hawk's-eye?" Flitwick had appeared in the room. "What is it?" 

"There's a cliff near the desert on the flatlands. If you look at it upside-down, it looks kind-of like a bird's head. The eye is a bush growing out of the side of the cliff."

"Excellent!" Flitwick squeaked. "We know where to begin now!"

"Shouldn't we look into Jahu-A-Bled's book for more clues?" Juniper suggested. "After all, we still don't know what the 'incomplete camel's hump' is."

Fiona froze. "Er-that won't be necessary. I copied down the riddle. It's too hard to read Jahu's handwriting."

"We know that, it's what we've been reading all along." McGonagall said impatiently. "Where's the book?"

"I think I left it in the café." Fiona said in a very small voice.

"WHAT?" Minerva looked furious.

"Sorry Min. I looked for it last night after you all went to bed. It's gone."

***

About fifty miles away, a man fingered the black covers of a thin journal with skeletally slim fingers.

"Excellent work, Malfoy. Where did you come about this thing?"

His servant bowed respectfully. "Master, I happened to find it accidentally at a café." The sarcasm on the word 'accidentally' could not be missed.

Voldemort laughed, a sound that made Lucius cringe.

"Excellent use of the tracking spell." Suddenly his voice became crisp and cruel, and he gripped Lucius' shoulder firmly. "Lucius. I want you to figure out this riddle. You _will_ have the answer within three days at the latest. You _will._"

The blond man shivered. "Yes Master."

***

A fierce sun hung over the flatlands, which bordered part of the Sahara Desert. Flying about 200 feet up in the air, the four friends gazed steadily at the cliff.

"It doesn't look like a hawk from here." Minerva muttered.

"Turn around." With one swift movement Fiona was upside-down, her face turning red as she studied the rock formation. "See, that triangular piece of rock jutting up is like the beak, and the green bush looks like an eye. Can you see it?"

Juniper Sprout nervously did a quick loop-de-loop. "A bit."

"Do it again."

Gunther needed no urging. Soon he became a blur, twisting around and around on his new Nimbus Two Thousand. "I can see it!" He exclaimed excitedly. "That bit of darker rock, it looks like a band around the eye."

Minerva did not attempt to hang upside-down. "Well, if you all believe so, I think it's time to go on with the riddle."

Without warning they all began to coax her. "Come on, Min. Try it. See it for yourself."

"It's okay, really, don't be afraid."

"You won't fall, I promise."

"No thank you." She said, giving Fiona a rather frosty stare.

"Are you afraid?"

At the mention of the word 'afraid' McGonagall gave a sigh, then promptly turned over. 

"Happy now?"

Back in Fiona's house, they continued to decipher the rhyme.

"So we travel by camel, forty paces, north from the bush on the cliff. Then what?"

"Find the monthly rays."

"Rays? Rays of what?"

"Isn't a ray a kind of line?"

"Yes, but where are you going to find lines in the desert--in the sky?" Fiona laughed.

"Er--maybe sunlight." Flitwick suggested.

"That's it! Sunlight!"

"Monthly rays of sunlight?" Minerva said doubtfully. "I didn't know the sun changed from month to month."

"The moon does." Sprout said quietly.

Everyone stared at her for a moment, then Fiona swept her in a huge hug. "That's it! The moon! All we have to do is to follow its light and...and..."

"Monthly though...would that be full moon, half, or a quarter?" McGonagall wondered. 

"We'll have to find out, won't we?"

Hours later, Sprout shivered in the coolness of the desert night. It all seemed so eerie. The shining three-quarter moon, McGonagall's quiet counting of her camel's footsteps, and their white robes all gave hints to a strange ceremony.

"Forty." Minerva stopped and jumped off. They were on top of a large sand dune, and the moonlight rays had apparently ended.

"This is it?"

"It's forty steps." 

"Well then, let's begin!" Fiona said cheerfully.

They dug around the dune.

They tried charms.

They stomped around, trying to find any secret openings. All that happened was the camel got annoyed, and began spitting indiscriminately.

They recounted their steps and used a compass.

They even tried using a Muggle metal detector.

They did everything short of draining away the desert.

"So close!" Fiona mumbled disappointedly. "What did we do wrong?"

Minerva stared hard at Flitwick, "Do you have anything to contribute?"

"Why me?"

"You _are_ the Charms teacher."

He looked down at his shoes, suddenly interested in the smudge of jam leftover from breakfast. With a scholarly attitude, he made a great show of exactly how much he was straining his brain. Examining each and every grain of sand, he noticed how each was different in color, size, and texture. 

He smiled to himself. If each grain of sand was a crystal, he would be rich.

One granule seemed to wink at him. In the soft moonlight, it looked almost transparent, like a diamond, cut with flawless perfection. 

He gazed up to the expectant faces of his friends. Feeling that he should present his analysis, he rambled hastily, "Er...We could shift the sand, no, that's dumb. What if we make it gone, I mean, go away, no..." The little crystalline bit of sand smiled at him, flashing in an array of colors. "Clear!"

Minerva stared. Juniper shook her head, confused. But Fiona fell down the sand dune. "Make the sand clear? Do you know how many of us it would take to do that? At least a hundred, maybe even two--"

"We don't need to do the whole desert. Just this area around the dune. A little bit at a time."

Sighing, McGonagall rolled up her sleeves. "_Claritis_,isn't it?"

Guther nodded. "If we all spread out and say the spell at the same time, the sand should become transparent for...half a minute."

They made a ring around the dune. _"Claritis."_

The transformation was amazing. At first, only the edge of the sand became transparent. Then it spread, until the whole dune was like a dome.

Everyone scrutinized the ground for any trace of old objects. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope. 

"What's that?" Minerva squinted her eyes, pointing with her free hand at a round shadow embedded within the dome of clear sand. 

"That's it...something that isn't just part of the sand." Flitwick explained. "We need to--" His voice faded in alarm, as they watched the sand becoming opaque again.

"It's been thirty seconds." Sprout said, disappointed. "We need to try again."

_"Claritis."_ They murmured. The shadow had not moved. Sprout noted its position: directly under the center of the dune.

"If we do a major sand-shifting spell, we should be able get it out."

_"Sieveta." _Flitwick yelled, blocking his face as sand swirled all around them. It felt like a sandstorm. 

When the grit had subsided, Minerva bent, trying to pick up the object. It wouldn't budge.

"What is it?" Fiona wiped the sand away from her eyes.

"A large mirror." Juniper peered down at it, noting the smaller circle at the center of the object, marked in red.

Minerva gasped. The moonlight fit perfectly into the red circle. She turned her head to follow its course. The angle of rebound hit a structure off in the distance.

Fiona grinned like a Cheshire cat, and then disappeared. The others followed, leaving a bewildered camel behind. It snorted in alarm as a shadow appeared over the horizon. Frightened, it ran off.

***

In the distance, Avery cursed. That annoying camel had almost given him away. He wondered if he'd ever get an invisibility cloak. 

_Author's note: We hate to admit it, but WE ARE GETTING VERY SAD THAT NO ONE HAS REVIEWED. Are we honestly that bad?(Okay, Jeli, enough self-pity, now) The next part will be loaded with action, as our heroes encounter enraged mummies._

_--Jeli_

_ _


	4. New Perceptions

# Disclaimer: McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Dumbledore, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling.

# Needle in the Haystack IV: New Perceptions

Four wizards peered excitedly through the barely visible entrance to the majestic pyramid. After conjuring up some light with a quick "_lumos", Fiona Emherst, Gunther Flitwick, Juniper Sprout, and Minerva McGonagall fumbled their way into the pyramid._

"We must be breaking every law imaginable, Fiona!" muttered McGonagall, ducking some cobwebs that still ended up tangled in her hair.

"Mmmm." Considered Fiona, happily, in the lead. "Imagine us finding the legendary First Wand! People have been looking for it for _ages. We'll make history." _

"We'll make history, all right. For robbing the treasures belonging to the Egyptian government." 

"You needn't think of it that way." Retorted Fiona.

For cousins, Minerva and Fiona sure bickered a lot. Juniper felt that she ought to lighten the mood. "Don't you think the paintings are magnificent?" She gestured at the walls. 

No one bothered to comment on the architectural and artistic aspects of the pyramid. No one even paid her any attention. Flitwick was examining a broken shard of pottery. Fiona and Minerva were still heatedly arguing.

"...no one asked you to come. You're too virtuous and good to do some common 'robbery' that will change wizarding history as we know it."

"In case you don't remember, it was upon your invitation that I came."

"I didn't invite you. You needed the vacation. I'm doing you the favor."

Minerva's eyes narrowed. For a brief second they stared at each other, challenging with their eyes. Then with a brisk about-face, she left. 

Juniper tried to reason with her. "You'll get lost in the maze. We ought to stick together."

The patter of footsteps got softer.

Juniper Sprout found it hard to control her temper. Minerva was being so childish! Frustrated, she kicked at a nearby stone.

The floor gave way. They didn't even have time to scream. It caught Fiona, Juniper and Flitwick unaware, for accidentally, Juniper had activated one of the many booby traps inlaid in the pyramid.

***

Meanwhile, Minerva squatted dejectedly in the dust, admitting she was lost. Her sense of direction had always been horrible. In her first year, it took her over four months to get to all her classes without losing her way. Of course, in the process, she'd discovered some brilliant passageways that the students weren't suppose to know about.

She'd given up drawing messy maps that made her more confused. Part of her wished she was still with Fiona and the group, since she'd always had a thrill for adventures. Then, the other side of her brain caught up with her. _You can't go back. Not after how you acted. It would be shameful._

_Minerva knew she had been acting childish. But where were they...?_

"Well, what the heck." She whispered to herself. Setting off to rejoin the others, she plunged carelessly into the winding maze.

_Fiona felt heavy as lead. A shadow was following her…always following her. She ran into her house and locked the door. Breathing heavily, she flopped down on the sofa. On the nearby coffee table was a book, which looked oddly familiar. All of a sudden, the journal with the riddles was in her hands again. How odd. At least Minerva would stop nagging at her for loosing it. Triumphantly, she showed it to her. Her cousin examined the old book, and with a crooked grin, melted into the shadow. With a pop, she left Fiona behind, coughing from the fit of smoke. Fiona recklessly pursued the shadow as she flew through the streets…running…running…until she reached her wand shop. The shadow loomed overhead. In its hand was an array of wands. It pointed them at her…muttered something…then the pain exploded._

Her eyes snapped open. A tiny pinpoint of light winked overhead. Even though moving was painful, she glanced at the still prone figures of Gunther and Juniper. Crawling over to check if they were okay, she bumped her arm against the rubble. It hurt.

The Herbology teacher had a nasty gash on her head, which was bleeding freely. Fiona fumbled with a bit of cloth torn from her robe to bandage the wound.

Each and every motion was getting harder and harder, and everything got blurry. Then it got very dark.

***

Fiona woke up to the solemn face of Minerva McGonagall. The sun streaked in cheerfully, and the walls were starch white. The air was clean, but it had a stale smell to it. Fiona realized she was in a Muggle hospital. 

Memories of the night escapade flooded into her mind. She frowned. 

"It's been three days already. Gunther's fine." Minerva said quietly, forcing herself to looking Fiona straight in the eye. "Juniper's still in critical condition."

Fiona propped herself up. "What took you?" Slight accusation tinted her voice.

Minerva seemed uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Fiona, I honestly didn't mean..."

Fiona smiled broadly. "It's good to see you!"

Before any more words could be exchanged, a nurse came and hustled McGonagall out.

Gunther met Minerva outside in the lobby, looking very out of place in a Muggle tee shirt (backwards) and jeans, which he thought were awfully stiff. Perched on his fluff of hair was a giant straw hat. He'd already checked out from the hospital, and was completely recovered, aside from his broken toe. Quite visibly, one could see the big Ping-Pong ball sized wad of bandages poking out of his left sandal. 

He'd had just been to Juniper's room. With a glance, Minerva silently questioned if Sprout gotten better. He shook his head sadly. "Doctors are giving her another blood transfusion."

Both fell silent. Gunther looked gloomy as he tried to recreate that awful night. "How did you find us?"

For a long time, Minerva didn't answer. "It was by accident that I found the chamber..." 

_Minerva hated to admit, even to herself, that she was utterly, totally, and completely lost. Turning a random corner, she found a chamber with doors covering every inch of the wall. Wooden doors, marble doors, stone and even bronze. Which was the right door? Gaping openmouthed, the feeling of dread grew and grew. After several minutes she decided to go for it. One door led to a room filled with monoxide. Another led to a cave with stalactites that came crashing down every time she moved. Still a third was filled with hovering green fire. On her fourth try she found a chamber with two crystal clear pools sunk into the ground. But they did not merely show her reflection..._

Gunther watched her speak, completely enthralled. "Keep going. What did they show?"

Minerva's eyes had glazed over. "I...one was a--nightmare." She gulped. "And the other brought me back to you."

Flitwick blinked. "What?"

"I told you. They showed me two different things. And oddest of all, I was _in_ the pools. I saw the scenes happening, but I was there too, almost like a Pensieve."__

For a moment Minerva was still, not wanting to remember...

_A bit apprehensively, Minerva gazed at the pool. She lurched forward and found herself in a dim hall. Guarding each door were a pair Dementers. The room was set up like a medieval court, with a rows of black robed wizards bowing before a creature on a twisted throne with snake carvings entwined around the back. And there was a shadow sitting upon the throne...a dark shadow that held a wand. The wand radiated power and strength, different from any wand she'd ever known. _

_Slowly and deliberately, the shadow turned, raising the wand. There was a dull sound, and Minerva found herself staring into the empty dead gaze of Fiona._

_Minerva screamed, her voice echoing. Then there was a burst of green light, and she was back in the pyramid, looking fearfully at the two pools._

Gunther paled. "What was that?"

"I--it looked like a nightmare, it had to be--." Minerva stuttered. She blinked. "I keep wishing I never saw it, but now I'm starting to dream it too..."

"What about the other pool?" Flitwick wisely changed the subject.

_McGonagall looked fearfully into the second pool. Suddenly there was a suction, and she was back in the chamber with the doors, looking at one made from white marble. Almost instinctively she turned the handle and walked through. "Help! Help!" A weak voice called. _

_"Gunther?" Minerva hurried along the phantom passage towards the voice._

"So that's how you found us." Flitwick concluded.

"Yes. The pool showed me the right door to go through."

"Thank goodness. You saved our lives." Gunther said earnestly. "I had my wand down there, but I was so tired I couldn't remember any useful spells."

"Doesn't matter. I came too late." Minerva looked miserable.

"Don't say that."

"If it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have fallen in. Juniper's in critical condition right now, and it's all my fault."

"But--" Flitwick began.

He was interrupted by a nurse hurrying towards them. "Miss McGonagall?" she inquired.

"Yes, it's me."

The nurse smiled. "I'm glad to inform you that your friend Juniper is out of danger. She should recover completely in about a week or two."

***

After three more days of hospitalization, four happy friends walked out of the hospital. Though a bit pale, Sprout was as healthy as ever.

Fiona giggled. "Did you see that Muggle doctor's face? He thought it'd take two weeks!"

Minerva smiled. "The poor man. Gunther's healing charm drove him crazy. He'll want to run a billion tests on the miraculous recovery. X-rays, blood tests, cultures..."

"You don't think he noticed Gunther performing it?" Juniper asked anxiously.

"Oh no." McGonagall reassured her. "We made sure the room was empty before he did it."

Fiona raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling. "That's better, Min. I always knew there was a bit of a rebel in you."

"We weren't breaking any rules. It was for a good cause..." Minerva said, a bit stiffly.

"Just bending procedures a bit, eh?" Fiona winked knowingly.

"Well..."

Sprout grinned. They were acting as though the argument had never happened.

However, once back in Fiona's house, McGonagall remembered her horrifying vision inside the pyramid. She sighed. There was no point in keeping it from them. So she and Gunther told them all. 

Afterwards, there was a stunned silence. Fiona's eyes were as big as saucers. "The Pools of Denial!"

"What?"

"You've found the Pools of Denial. One shows the future. And the other will be something of help. I read about them in my textbook years ago. They're thought to be just a myth."

"Then Fiona will..." Sprout trembled.

"It can't be. Divination is very sketchy..." Minerva said.  
Fiona butted in. "Hey, Min, you're in DENIAL!"

"How can you joke? It was you in the nightmare."

"Maybe the pools are wrong. They might need cleaning." 

Minerva rubbed at her temples. "You're giving me a headache. The pools can't be right. How could a pool of water tell the future?"

"Because they can." Fiona snapped, becoming angry. "How would I know? Go ask the Ancient Egyptians."

Juniper intervened nicely. "Why don't you show us the book about the Pools of Denial? It might tell us something important."

Fiona glared at her. "Are you questioning my memory?"

"No. Just--it would be nice if we all looked at it."   
Rolling her eyes, Fiona summoned _Knowing the Unpopular Myths of Ancient Egypt _with a quick flick of her wand. "There. Read." She jabbed at a page, thrusting the book into Minerva's hands.

They all watched her face anxiously as she skimmed the paragraph. Smiling tightly, she shut the book.

"You were right, Fiona. One pool will help you, and the other--"

"See? I told you."

"But, the second only shows a _possible_ future. Not a definite one."

Flitwick and Sprout both sagged with relief. "Thank goodness."

Fiona was still frowning. She began pacing. "Tell me again, Min. Did you see the shadow's face? Anything? Hair, eyes, teeth..."

"Well," McGonagall began reluctantly. "It was just a dark shape, nothing definite...all I remember was the wand. It seemed so powerful...I could see beams of...I don't know...energy, radiating from it."

"Perhaps it's the First Wand."

Everyone looked in Flitwick's direction. Of course. It all started making sense.

"You-Know-Who's looking for it." Flitwick stood up. "It fits. Minerva broke his wand. He needs a new one. Who else would kill so ruthlessly?"

"It--it doesn't have to be You-Know-Who. You never saw him in the pools." Juniper said hesitantly. "We don't know he's after that wand."

"Sounds like something he'd want, doesn't it?" Minerva said gloomily. "And the pools showed me the two scenes..."

"Shouldn't we tell Dumbledore?" Flitwick suggested uneasily.

McGonagall frowned. "Yes...though there's not a lot he can do. I say we get on with the search right now, and try to find that wand before Voldemort does."

Sprout shivered. What had started out as a month of fun was turning into a deadly race.

TO BE CONTINUED...

_ _

_A/N: Hello! Hope you enjoyed it! We get such a kick out of writing the ominous three words, "To be continued..." in hopes that someone actually likes our story and waits, breath baited, for part number 5. Ah, perhaps we're being delusional...but no one ever, ever reviews. It's getting distressing. Anyway, comments would be wonderful, and if there is an Egypt expert out there, please tell us if we've made any stupid mistakes and such._

_--Jeli_


	5. Of Riddles and Prune Juice

Disclaimer: You know who's whose.

Needle in the Haystack V: Of Riddles and Prune Juice

After lunch they lounged around Fiona's house, all feeling too distressed and tired to move. In a desperate attempt to find something to do, Juniper Sprout picked up the nearest piece of paper with writing on it; noting with distaste that it was the riddle. 

_Power lies in the staff you seek_

_Years have not weakened its strength._

_Run a muddied thorn from the hawk-eyed one_

_About forty desert-ship paces._

_Monthly rays will mark the way into_

_Incomplete camel's hump._

Juniper frowned. Wasn't there more to the poem? She'd thought therewere more lines than just six. A bit confused, she turned over the paper.

___Depart into the place of spell for the further rhyme._

_ _

_There it was. Sprout smiled. It was so characteristic of Fiona to write the last line on the back despite the inches of space left on the front. Sighing good-naturedly, she copied the last line onto the front. Then she stared. _

"By the pus of bubotubers!" She exclaimed. "I've got it!"

"What's wrong, Juniper?" Minerva had wandered over.

"Get Fiona and Gunther." Sprout said quickly. "I figured it out!"

"They're talking to Dumbledore by the fireplace. What's wrong?"

"Nothing...just read this riddle again. I want you to tell me if you notice anything unusual about these seven lines."

"You mean six lines." McGonagall said flatly.

"No. Seven. There was one on the back of the paper. Just read it."

Minerva's eyes widened. "I missed that line...depart into the place of spell for further rhyme? What does it mean?"

"Not that!" Juniper said impatiently. "What do you notice about the seven lines?"

"Nothing." She said, bewildered.

"P...Y...R..." Sprout pointed to the lines. "The first letter of each line spells pyramid!"

The Transfiguration teacher's jaw dropped. "We were right! It is a pyramid...but what did we do wrong?"

***

"My Lord." The man huddled in front of Voldemort. "We have found the answer to the riddle. Tonight we will depart to find the wand."

If Avery had thought this would make his Master happy, he was wrong. With lightning speed a hand grabbed his neck, sharp nails digging in. "I have waited for your results for a week! You are late! One more error and you will pay!"

Avery's facewas turning an exotic shade of blue. "Please, my Lord. I have followed the ones f--from Hogwarts. They found the mirror! I-I--cannot be mistaken!"

Voldemort dropped the half-choked man. "I want to know why your results were late!"

"We--we have to wait for the full moon, which doesn't happen until tonight and--"

"Leave." Voldemort waved his hand in dismissal contemptuously. "Make sure you do not fail me."

Bowing and nodding mindlessly, Avery backed out of the room. The Dark Lord was not one to argue with when he was in a foul mood.

***

Out on the desert Fiona waited impatiently for the moon to rise higher. "Come on."

Flitwick tugged on her sleeve. "Come help us find the mirror. It'll be another half hour before the full moon comes up."

She sighed. "You mean you can't find the mirror? I don't think we covered it up after last time, did we?"

"No. We never did." McGonagall scowled. "It was very careless of us...but the wind must've blown sand over it to cover it up. Here it is!" She pulled back her toe to reveal the edge of the mirror. "Now we wait for the moon."

"Are you sure this will work?" Juniper asked nervously, shifting off the sand on the mirror.

"It didn't work for the three-quarter moon. It should work for the full one."

"What do you mean it didn't work?" Flitwick said. "We found the pyramid, didn't we?"

"But it wasn't the right one." Fiona piped up.

"How do you know?"

"Because." She said shortly. 

"Because what?"

Fiona refused to answer, causing Minerva to sniff indignantly. "She has an idea what the right pyramid is. But she won't tell me, or anyone else."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You haven't even--"

Trying to divert another argument, Sprout pointed at the sky. "Look! You can see the moon's reflection in the mirror now. Just wait a bit until it's dead center inside the red circle, then we'll follow the rays."

They waited in silence, watching the yellow orb's ascend into the sky. Around them was stillness, broken only by the occasional scuffle ofsmall lizards.

"Where did the camel go after last time?" Flitwick wondered aloud.

"I think he ran away." Minerva wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I had to pay the Muggle camel owner in Muggle money, which was a bit confusing."

Her cousin chortled. "You mean you can't even count Egyptian pounds?"

"I'm used to English pounds, thank you very much. These Egyptian coins are very different."

Shaking her head, Fiona bit back laughter as she pointed at the mirror. "We can go now. Just follow the rays...but don't forget to cover the mirror back up after we're done!"

They followed the dim yellow rays far beyond the pyramid they last entered until they stopped on a hill. There the light rays ended. 

"Look." Fiona said triumphantly, eyes gleaming. "Can you see the two pyramids down there?"

_"Lumos." Flitwick muttered, squinting down. "One of the pyramids is alright...but the other one--the top has collapsed!"_

Fiona began climbing down the hill, beckoning for the others to follow. "You're right. That pyramid is an _unfinished pyramid, built for some old queen. I'm not sure why they abandoned it."_

"How do you know it's the right one? What if it's the other one?"

"It's the incomplete camel's hump, isn't it?"

Sprout grinned. "You're brilliant. Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"I wasn't sure you'd believe me. It was such a far stretch. Gunther? You coming down?"

Flitwick was still gazing at it. "Really does look like a camel's hump, without the rounded top. You guys go ahead. I'll Apparate back and cover up the mirror. I'll join you later."

His words fell upon deaf ears. The three women were already next to the pyramid, reading with shocked faces a large sign.

By Order of the Egyptian Government

The Artifacts from this Pyramid 

Have Been Excavated.

They are Now On Display in the

Cairo Museum of Ancient Egypt

34347 Pleasant Street

"This is horrible!" Fiona moaned. "Wait--let me read the lines in Arabic--sometimes they give more extra information than the translated languages do...nope."

McGonagall seemed crestfallen. "So close! You don't think Voldemort had anything to do with this?"

Juniper winced. "No. He can't take out a whole pyramid...Muggles would notice."

Fiona looked despairingly as the sky. "I think our only choice now is to go to that museum and see if the wand is there."

Not ten minutes after they Apparated away, Avery, Wormtail, and Lucius arrived upon the same sign. Reading it, they were not too happy either.

The next morning found three grumpy witches and one wizard engrossed in the riddle again. 

"Fiona, we're out of coffee!" Minerva grumbled.

"Did you look in the cupboard?"

"Of course I did."

"Well then, you'll have to do without!"

McGonagall opened her mouth to talk, only to find that the eggs were burned. "Ugghh." She mumbled tiredly. "The second egg I ruined..."

Fiona trooped into the kitchen, snorting with disgust. "Come on. You're a Transfiguration teacher and you can't even cook eggs by magic?"

"Just because I can doesn't mean I have to." Minerva snapped, hitting her toe accidentally on the edge of her chair.

"You're obviously no good at cooking breakfast. Let me."

The cousins were not the only irritable ones. Eating a stack of pancakes, Juniper clamped her hands over her ears. "Can you two stop arguing?"

"We're not arguing!" Fiona shot back. "Just...at variance." 

Sprout blinked. _At variance? "Since when did those words come into your vocabulary?"_

"Whatever." Fiona mumbled, now expertly turning over three fried eggs at once. "See, Min? You should take some cooking lessons from me."

"I'd rather not." McGonagall sat down, sipping distastefully at a cup of tea. She preferred coffee, as tea reminded her all too much of Divination class with a certain Sibyll...

"Fiona...anything else to drink in this house?"

"There's some prune juice in the fridge." She grinned wickedly. "I wouldn't suggest it..."

"Anything's better than this tea." Ignoring Fiona's advice, Minerva poured some out and took a swallow.

"Ack..." She gasped, keeping it down with difficulty. "It's--disgusting."

"I told you..."

_"Accio tea!" McGonagall cried, gulping it down with gusto. "I'll stick with tea."_

Just then, Flitwick came running in with the riddle. "We're not done!"

"What do you mean?"

"I just figured out the last line in the riddle!"

"What is it?" Juniper said, only half interested.

"Depart into the place of spell for further rhyme..." Gunther began. "Now, to us wizards and witches, a spell means a charm, right?"

They nodded.

"But, it can also mean letters of the alphabet put together to resemble a word. If you take the riddle, the first letters of each line spells out pyramid. Don't you see?"

"No." Fiona shook the three eggs onto a plate. 

"Depart into the place of spell--the riddle spelled out pyramid! We went there, and according to the riddle we have to go there for further rhyme, which means there's another riddle waiting for us!"

"No way!" Minerva groaned. "So wewon't be searching for the wand at the Muggle museum--we'll be looking for another riddle! This one already took us long enough..."

To ease the tension a bit, Flitwick said lightly, "Is there anything to drink here besides tea?" Then his eyes rested upon the prune juice. "Aha."

"NO." Fiona said flatly. "You are not drinking this. Min almost retched over it."

"Believe me." McGonagall said emphatically. "You don't want to try it."

"But I love fruit juice!" Disregarding glares and pleas, Gunther poured himself a large glass. 

"Please, Gunther. If you're going to drink it, do it over the sink. I don't want you to throw up on the floor." Fiona implored.

"Oh fine." He walked over. "Mmm..."

"You mean you like it?" Fiona's face looked green, with a yellowish tinge.

"It's delicious!"

"You can have the rest--of--the--bottle." Minerva fled the room with her cup of tea, unable to stand anymore the sight of Flitwick, guzzling down prune juice with a wide smile on his idyllic face.

_A/N: We do not like prune juice...just added it in for possible humor. Please review? We feel so bad when no one ever does--are we repeating ourselves?_

_--Jeli_


	6. The Amazing Tour Guide

Needle in the Haystack VI: The Amazing Tour Guide

Hopping off the bus, Juniper Sprout, Gunther Flitwick, Fiona Emherst, and Minerva McGonagall ran eagerly up the marble stairs of the museum.

Reading the museum map, Flitwick directed, "The pyramid gallery is to the left." As they took the turn, Minerva found herself smacking into a statue with a crocodile head. 

The Transfiguration teacher stifled a gasp. She then turned around.

"Good day, my friends." A mellifluous voice floated through the hall. "Please refrain from touching the artifacts. There are oils in your fingers that will deteriorate the condition of our statues."

Minerva stared at the person. She had blond hair that fluffed out in fancy twists and plaits. Her eyes were murky blue, accented with silvery purple eye shadow. Her short neck connected to a rotund figure swathed in a pale lavender blazer with shiny, Sickle-sized buttons. The matching mini-skirt was also lavender, as were the stockings and two-inch high heels.

"I'm Majorie Bucket." She pronounced it like "Bouquet", with a French flourish. She pointed a fat, ring-covered finger at a statue with a bird's head. "That's Thoth. He's my favorite Egyptian deity. He's so wise. The staff he carries is a symbol of authority and power. What a man."

"Er--if you don't mind, we can manage on our own. We are just taking a look around the museum."

Majorie smiled, stretching her lips, which were caked with lipstick. "Why, I don't mind at all! Just give me a minute, and I'll give you all a private tour!"

Fiona blinked. This woman clearly did not understand the term 'on our own.'

Mrs. Bucket led them to a table. "Just sign the guest book, dearies. We _do_ love to know where our visitors come from."

Left without a choice, Minerva reluctantly signed her name, and gave her place of residence as London. She passed the pen to Gunther.

"Why, how perfectly intriguing! Your first name is Minerva!" Majorie seemed happy beyond words. "Wasn't she the goddess of beauty in ancient Greek? Or was that Hera? Oh don't worry about it, honey. An exotic name is nothing to be ashamed of. Why, my own middle name is Eunice, and a horribly beastly one it is, too. My mother always told me that was my great-grandmother's name..."

Sprout had to pinch herself to stop from laughing. Goddess of beauty indeed! Majorie Eunice Bucket obviously did not have a classical education.

As they were herded into a room, Majorie said, "Did you know the Ancient Egyptians wrote on papyrus? They were such an advanced civilization." She put a sausage arm on Minerva, who squirmed uncomfortably. "Now, let me introduce you to all the Egyptian deities."

Sprout said, "Do you have artifacts from the unfinished pyramid?"

"But aren't you interested in Osiris and Isis? I was about to tell you their story. It is a tale full of love and devotion." 

"No thank you," said Flitwick, firmly. "I'd much rather see those artifacts. And as you know so much, it would be a great asset if you'd show them to us." 

Fiona gave him the thumbs-up. How brilliant! Just butter her up.

Majorie dragged them into a chamber filled with scrolls, delicate amber statuettes, an old vessel, and a sarcophagus with a gold coffin inside. Fiona squatted down by the sarcophagus, looking for signs of a rhyme or riddle. As she made her way around the rectangular box, she smelled a mint-y perfume scent hovering over her. She turned.

Smiling, Majorie handed Fiona a 'hieroglyph decoder'. "I doubt the Ancient Egyptians wrote in English, but....have fun! Oh, and by the way, there are several glyphs that represent the same vowel. So don't get confused! Also, most glyphs make up sounds and not words."

"Huh?"

"See here. If you take this glyph--and this--string them together, and sound it out. It sounds like the English word 'feet.'"

"Weird." Fiona shrugged, not really listening.

Pointing to several crowns sitting on a pedestal, Majorie gave a sigh of adoration. "How perfectly exquisite," she cooed. "Just look at those jewels, they were imported from Nubia..." This remark was accented by an excited squeeze on Minerva's shoulder. "We have a Nubian gallery. You can see our recreation of Kush!"

Help me! McGonagall mouthed to Fiona, a stricken look on her face. 

Her cousin was quick to react. Pretending to trip, she lurched, and crashed into a wall.

It worked. Within seconds Majorie had loosened her grip and was at Fiona's side. "Oh darling, are you alright?" As she nodded, Majorie's voice took on a firmer edge. "You must be very careful around here. Who knows what can happen if you knock something apart? You will have to pay many pounds, and the artifact can never be replaced. We will have lost part of the ancient culture forever...just make sure to watch your step now, will you? We don't want any injuries or accidents, do we?" She winked.

"We have to get rid of her." Minerva muttered angrily.

"Shall I?" Flitwick's hand strayed toward his wand.

"No." Juniper shook her head. "That's not fair, she's only a Muggle. But...Minerva, if you leave for a few minutes, she'll probably go searching for you. Then us three can look around this place without her hovering around. You can sneak back later if you want."

"All right." 

Thirty seconds later Mrs. Bucket turned around. "Where is Minerva?"

Fiona said, "I do hope she isn't lost. My cousin has a terrible sense of direction. It would be just horrible if she accidentally knocked over a statue or something."

Majorie looked stricken. She ran out of the room as fast as her lavender shoes would allow. Sprout and Flitwick collapsed in fits of laughter.

"Poor Min." Fiona's mouth twitched, then she too began to giggle.

They began to explore the room, in search for the next riddle.

Finding no writing on the statues, Sprout gazed at several scrolls. "Hey Fiona, take a look at this."

"I'm busy. What does it say?"

"How would I know," said Sprout. "You have the decoder. And you're the only one who can read Arabic."

"I'll do a spell then. You'll all temporarily know Arabic. And, I'll make more copies of the decoder."

"But the Muggles will notice!"

"No they won't. They never do." Snapping out her wand with alacrity, Fiona muttered several words, jumping back as three new decoders popped out of thin air. "There you go." She handed one to each of her friends. "And I'd better keep this one for Min when she comes back."

Flitwick called for Fiona and Juniper from behind an old vase. It was done in Greek style, with pictures of Hercules with a lion on his back. "I think this might be what we are looking for."

Juniper frowned, consulting the decoder with difficulty. "It says 'Congratulations.' What does that have to do with the wand?"

"Exactly." Gunther was euphoric. "Don't you think it's congratulating us because we solved the previous riddle and found this vase?"

"Maybe." Sprout seemed uninterested.

"But--" Flitwick's face was now red. "I did a spell just moments ago. There are stanzas of writing inside the vase, but I'm too short to read it."

Laughing, Fiona stood on tiptoes and thrust her wand in. _"Lumos._ You're right! There's hieroglyphics in there but--"

"A guard is coming!" Sprout warned quickly, hearing footsteps. "Fiona--get down, and hide that wand!"

Minerva entered the room, staring at their guilty faces. "What?"

"Er--we thought you were a security guard."

Flitwick said, "Or worse. Majorie Bucket." 

"You've found something, haven't you?" Minerva looked expectantly at her cousin. 

"Yeah, the next riddle. But it's inscribed on the inside of that vessel over there. We'll need to come back later to copy it down."

"Let me have a look."

Juniper whispered, "Majorie's coming back. Let's go." 

As if electrified, the four friends tore out of the room, intent only on leaving before Majorie caught them. In her haste Minerva stumbled into a blond-haired man. 

"Sorry." She gasped, out of breath and faintly embarrassed. 

The strange man didn't answer. Instead, he merely smiled slightly before continuing on. 

"We escaped the tour guide from hell." Fiona shouted, exuberantly, once outside the museum. She caused several people to stare.

"Watch your language." Sprout said.

"Did you see how she ran? Like a mad vampire, tottering this way and that." Flitwick did a pirouette as he imitated Majorie Bucket to reality.

"Well, we are fighting evil to some extent, looking for this wand. I think Majorie just gave us some first hand experience...right Min? Min?"

Minerva seemed to be looking past Fiona as she talked. "We have to go back to the museum tonight. We must stay ahead of the Death Eaters." 

"Huh? They're probably too stupid to catch on."

Shaking her head, Minerva said, "I crashed into Lucius Malfoy while we were coming out. Tonight, you and Gunther will go to the gallery and copy down the riddle. Juniper and I will guard the area. Keep your wand with you at all times, and--"

"Don't take any candy from strangers." Fiona said gloomily. "We know, we know. We'll be careful. But are you sure you saw Lucius Malfoy?"

"I'd know that weasel anywhere."

_A/N: Does anyone know anything about Ancient Egypt that might help us with our story? We're not sure if we got all the facts right, and your input will be greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism, advice, and suggestions would also be fine. _

_--Jeli_


	7. A Scribbled Scroll

Needle in the Haystack VII:

Needle in the Haystack VII: A Scribbled Scroll

"Wands?"

"Check."

"Flashlights?"

"Check."

"Walkie Talkies?" One by one Minerva rattled off the items.

"Check." Gunther Flitwick held up a small green box that worked just like the Muggle device. It could be clipped conveniently to the wrist and looked very military in style.

Fiona snorted. "Who died and made you drill sergeant?"

"How do you expect to succeed on such a complex mission if you are not organized?" McGonagall said in a crabby voice, as she hated to plunge unprepared into any undertakings. "Portkeys?"

"Check." 

"I don't see why we need them anyway." Fiona Emherst grumbled. "Can't we just Apparate back? Our wizarding skills aren't _that bad."_

"In case we have an emergency and need to get away fast." Her cousin responded tensely. 

She glanced at her watch, looked at her friends and pulled on a cloak. "Let's go."

At the steps of the museum and they split into two groups. Minerva guarded the front entrance while Juniper secured the back. 

With a quick "_Alohomora," Flitwick and Fiona slipped through the door, winded through the corridors past the statues, around the sarcophagus and arrived near the room. They stopped to wait and listen._

Minerva was listening, too. Aside from the pitter-patter of the night watchman's footsteps, there wasn't much else to hear. Fortunately, all seemed to be going well, since there was no sign of the Death Eaters breaking into the museum. 

On sudden impulse, she transfigured herself into the tabby cat; it had heightened senses that would help her see, smell and hear in the dark. Besides, it would allow her to do some prowling on the rooftop…

Someone in the Burial Gallery was making a lot of noise, Fiona decided. She peeked through the doorway, and to her horror, she saw seven men peering into the vase. One of them was clearly copying the riddle.

"So, we are actually ahead for once." 

The blond-haired one nodded, "It would seem so. Our Master will be pleased…hurry up Scotis, are you almost done?"

"Not quite." The young Death Eater mumbled, slowly transferring the riddle inscribed inside the vessel onto a scroll. "This is hard to copy…this isn't in English."

"No, _really." Lucius said sarcastically. "Just hurry up!"_

"I don't see what the rush is." A third voice mumbled. "We're way ahead of those from Hogwarts."

"Really now, Avery. Do you expect them to be thick in the head? This afternoon I bumped into our old Transfiguration teacher myself—right here in this museum! Minerva McGonagall should be here soon."

Avery almost choked. "That old hag?"

Behind the doorway, Fiona opened her mouth indignantly, then closed it. "Let's beat them to hell."

"Think rationally," whispered Flitwick, "it's seven to two."

"We're tons smarter."

He shook his head, crouching further down into the shadows. "Not right now, you aren't."

"Well, what do you propose we do? Sit here and let them insult my cousin?" Fiona said hotly before he clamped his hand across her loud mouth.

"They can't stay in that room forever. When they finish, we'll go in."

She shook her head. "Why would they leave the vase around for us to copy. You heard Malfoy himself…he knows we are after the riddle, too. If I were him I'd destroy the vase afterwards."

Juniper Sprout paced the length of the wall, her eyes searching for Death Eaters. There were none. She was beginning to get a little worried. What if they'd already gotten the riddle and were solving it right now?

_We wouldn't have a chance of catching up, she thought miserably._

From behind, someone tapped her shoulder. Whirling around nervously, she lit her wand only to find no one. Before she could feel anything besides panic there was a popping noise and Minerva stood in front of her.

"Sorry I scared you," she said quietly. "But your shoulder was a great landing pad between here and the roof."

Juniper nodded mutely, too relieved to speak. When she finally found her voice again, she said, "I thought you were a Death Eater. I haven't seen one all night."

"Me neither. Things are almost too quiet. I haven't heard from Fiona or Gunther. We ought to go check on them."

As they made their way into the museum, the voice connection on their wrists beeped and Fiona's voice was heard. "Get you butts in here!" This was punctuated by a scream.

Inside the Burial Gallery, curses and spells were exchanged. Fiona and Gunther battled furiously against six Death Eaters; Lucius Malfoy was calming looking on, confident that the Death Eaters would soon win. Poking out of his pocket was a copy of the riddle. 

As he fingered his wand, he wondered where McGonagall was. He was disgusted that she would miss out on this opportunity to fight. A year ago she had done so much damage to Voldemort, but tonight she hadn't even shown up.

He looked up at the doorway to see Juniper appear, her wand held in a trembling hand. Instantly, she was surrounded by two Death Eaters and battling for dear life. 

Something smashed into him, hard. Dizzily, he spun around. The sight of McGonagall, wand in hand, smirking, enraged him enough to clear his vision.

"You coward," he spat. "To sneak up from behind. Never thought a Gryffindor would stoop so low." 

She paid him no attention and moved her lips ever so slightly. A funny sensation crept up his leg and he realized it was stiffening. He searched his mind for the counterspell, and cast it, fast.

_"Expelliarmus!" Minerva yelled._

_"Finite Incantatum!"_

_"Stupefy!"_

_"Asfyxious partsia!"_

_As the spell reached her McGonagall gagged, eyes wide with shock. Her wand dangled limply from one hand._

"Surely an esteemed professor like yourself shouldn't be defeated by such a vulgar, loathsome Death Eater." Malfoy sneered.

"You're right, Lucius." She rasped, quickly flicking her wrist. _"Petrificus Totalus!"_

With the sparse time Fiona had between ducking and casting spells, she was amazed to see the fluidity that her friend Gunther dueled. He was clearly in his element; not only was he taking on three Death Eaters and winning, but he was also protecting the various artifacts that were in the way of deadly curses.

Despite Flitwick's superb dueling, she had to admit they were outnumbered. All the dueling spells she learned had leaked out of her head, but she took creative liberties to temporarily turn Scotis' wand into a blob of green Jell-O. 

As she turned around to deflect another incoming spell, she noticed her cousin giving her an intent look as she signaled with her free hand.

Glancing swiftly for a moment at her cousin, Fiona realized that Minerva was pointing to Malfoy's robes. She saw why. In his pocket was the scroll.

"_Accio scroll!"_

She caught it with her free hand, ignoring Malfoy's enraged scream and kicking hard at the Death Eater behind her. For a moment she paused, uncertain of what to do next.

"Portkeys!" Juniper yelled from next to her, having just stunned a Death Eater. 

"You're right! Portkeys!" Fiona shouted, and touched the tiny button clipped beneath her collar. The others did the same.

There was the all too familiar jerking sensation and seconds later, she found herself back at home, with Juniper appearing just after. Then, Minerva and Flitwick came into sight. 

"Everyone back in one piece?" Gunther asked anxiously.

Fiona whooped, and he assumed the affirmative. "Mission accomplished! Those idiots must spend their night copying the riddle _again because we nicked their scroll!"_

"Let's see it," said Juniper, as she got out the med-kit. Gathering various magical herbs, she began grounding them into a poultice.

Dramatically reaching into her pocket, Fiona brought out the scroll and ceremoniously untied the ribbon around it. 

"Oh, hurry up," laughed Juniper, as she splattered a thin layer of some foul smelling herbal remedy on Flitwick's bleeding forearm. "We're all dying to see what Jahu wrote."

"Then we can get going! We've wasted enough time dawdling with dear old Majorie and those lovely Death Eaters at the museum." 

Minerva disagreed. "We should all go to bed."

"Why? We need to stay ahead."

"Riddles aren't meant to be deciphered when one's not mentally alert." McGonagall noted philosophically, as she headed for her room.

Yawning, Flitwick followed suit, but paused when a nasty idea struck him. "Fiona, how well's your house protected?"

"Well enough, I think," she said sleepily, gathering the scroll and pausing at the foot of the stairs. "I upgraded the alarms from a model AF307 to a model AF311."

"Good." Gunther said firmly. "We won't have to worry about Death Eaters attacking us tonight."

'Early to bed, early to rise' was a saying that applied to Minerva McGonagall. By the time Flitwick lolled into family room munching on a large pita stuffed with cheese, the Transfiguration teacher had already been through the Muggle morning paper, _The __Cairo Currently. She'd even clipped out an article that she showed to Gunther._

_"It's on the museum break-in last night." She commented, frowning._

"Did anyone see us?"

"No, but we've aroused the Muggles' suspicions. 'No one was seen entering the museum, nothing was stolen; yet the artifacts in one room were completely destroyed' the paper reads. But we should be more careful from now on. We don't want Muggles involved in this."

Shaking his head emphatically, he agreed, "No, we don't." He forced the rest of his meal in his mouth. "Last night sure worked up an appetite."

"Eat up. Today's bound to be intellectually demanding if we plan on solving Jahu's riddle to stay ahead."

"It'll probably be ten times harder than the first riddle we solved, trap us in an dangerous situation, and lead us to yet another riddle in a series of thirty thousand riddles, each exponentially more difficult than the last."

"And the riddle—"

The clattering of footsteps drowned whatever Minerva had planned to say out. "Don't. I can't believe you'd start without me," yelled Fiona, before bursting into the room still in her birdie pajamas. 

Minerva looked Fiona head to toe, taking in the tousled hair, sleepy eyes, and bare feet. "Get dressed, Fiona. Nobody's starting without you. And wake Juniper up. Half the morning's over."

"Geez, Min. Don't snap. You haven't done anything productive, either." Before her cousin could respond, Fiona sprinted up the stairs, rapped unnecessarily loud knocks on Juniper's door, and yelled, "Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Then she disappeared into her room.

To Gunther's relief, Minerva decided to ignore her cousin. That would allow some quiet so that he write up a birthday card for his cousin Ormtre. Ormtre was dwarfish and proud of his heritage, so he would only communicate in his native language. That meant Gunther had to search his brain for everything he learned at the Dwarfish Language School he had attended every Saturday afternoon when he was ten.

"Dear Ormtre" he scrawled in Dwarfish, hoping he'd spelled his cousin's name right. "By your gritty beard, I hope you are well. May your head grow harder as you age another year. It is good that you are…" 

Gunther's train of thought was broken as a blaring sound resembling a sick oboe filled the room. 

"What are you doing, Minerva?"

Grinning sheepishly, she held up a pipe-like instrument. "It's one of Fiona's. She collects wands, and this is an instrumental one. I thought I'd give it a go."

He laughed good-naturedly. "With the sounds you produce, the only magic you'll be able to cast will be noise horrific enough to scare the Death Eaters away."

Minerva said, "For the moment, I'll take that as a compliment. Perhaps Fiona will teach me how to play this thing… I'm sure she has an instructional pamphlet somewhere in that big bookshelf of hers."

"Just practice when nobody's around."

"Will you shut up with that thing?" shrieked Fiona, trying to cast a Shushing Spell on her cousin, who had found heaps of books about instrumental wands. The one Minerva was playing happened to be a soprano wand, making it shrill and obnoxious if played incorrectly.

Juniper nodded in agreement and slipped a familiar pair of pink, fluffy earmuffs around her head.

"I'm doing well." Minerva argued. "That was the G major scale, in case you couldn't tell."

"I thought it was a chorus of Canadian geese gone wrong," remarked Flitwick, off-handly to Juniper, who couldn't hear a word that was said.

"That's not the point." Fiona said loudly. Before Minerva could raise the pipe to her lips again, she continued, "We are to get started with the second riddle, since we're bound to be behind."

With that, she broke the ribbon seal, and flattened out the scroll.

"What does it say?" Asked Flitwick, looking curiously at the wriggly writing.

Fiona did not answer. For a moment, her eyebrows knitted in puzzlement as she carefully looked the scroll over again. 

"I don't get it. It's in Arabic, all right. The first two stanzas aren't even Arabic words: just random characters put together to make sounds like phonetics. The only thing I can read is the last stanza, which is all congratulating and praising fluff that will be bestowed upon us, if we solve the riddle. I don't get it."

"Did that Death Eater copy the text wrong?"

"Doubt it."

Jabbing angrily at the scroll, Fiona burst out, "This is just great. Jahu-A-Bled writes riddles in his own imaginary language. I always knew he was crazy, but this…" 

"Take it easy." Minerva put a steadying hand on her cousin, her calm gray eyes looking into Fiona's. "There's sure to be a way around this impediment, and if there isn't, then the Wand's just not meant to be found."

"It exist!" said Fiona, forcefully. "I'm supposed to find it. I've got to."

"Then we'll help you," said Minerva, simply. "Why don't you read the riddle aloud, even if it doesn't make much sense."

"Yeah," put in Gunther, "We won't laugh at you if you sound stupid."

"Shut up!" said Fiona, annoyed, but she read the brain twister, feeling very silly as she tried to connect the sounds into what she hoped were words in another language.

When she finished, Juniper was staring blankly back at her, Gunther was jotting a thought down on his palm (probably not even paying attention) and Minerva was fingering the pipe-wand. 

"What a great audience you guys are." Fiona said, sarcastically.

"It sounded like jibberish."

Minerva was frowning. "I don't think the garbled part was written in only one strange language. I think it was two."

Fiona blinked. "Oh! So you mean the entire riddle has three languages in it; the congratulatory stuff written in Arabic but the meaningful parts in two other languages? Sheesh."

Juniper rubbed her ears, "The first stanza kept on changing intonation, going from high and vibrant to low and swishy; almost like a hiss. But the second stanza sounded harsher and squeakier, almost. It's worse than Minerva on the pipe."

"That's really not our focus." McGonagall said.

"I don't know," said Fiona. "It's a close call. Min or this off pitch, funny-sounding poem that unlocks the secret location of the First Wand. I'd choose this riddle any day.

"You're going to regret that statement, Fiona Emherst. One day, I'll get this pipe to play just right, and if you get hypnotized and start dancing like a hippo on the rooftops, don't blame me!"

"When you do, Min! When you do!"

Gunther, who had been unusually quiet to not participate in the joke on Minerva, said agitatedly, "Quiet, will you!"

"Have you figured something?"

"Dunno," he said, scratching at his white patch of hair slowly. "Fiona, could you read that bit again? The second stanza?"

She did so, with much twisting up of the face.

"I don't know about the other bits, but that was definitely Dwarfish. That's written with Arabic to sound like Dwarfish when read aloud, and it's part of the riddle."

Minerva caught on instantly. "That means if we can find a dictionary, we'll be all set. The only problem is: what language is the first stanza written in?"

Sitting down, Fiona looked a little awed. "That's so… brilliant."

"Huh?"

"Of Jahu. To make it this tricky. I guess I've underestimated that chap after all."Juniper gave Gunther a great pat on the back. "Well done!"

He looked seriously at them and said, "This is going to be such a hard task. We're going to need linguists, dictionaries, and such. I didn't understand half those Dwarfish words. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

Fiona smothered a giggle. So Gunther knew some Dwarfish! That would explain his vertically challenged body…

_So, how was it? Anyone feel like reviewing?_

_--Jeli_


	8. The Past

Needle in the Haystack VIII: The Past

Needle in the Haystack VIII: The Past

After dinner that day, Juniper became unusually restless. "It's stuffy in here," she said listlessly. "What happened to the air conditioner?"

"Broken." Fiona grumbled, trying to read Egypt's wizarding newspaper, the _Sphinx Tales. _

"Maybe I should take a walk."

"I'm warning you, it's hotter out there."

"At least it'll be easier to breathe. I feel stifled in here." 

Gunther finished drying the dishes and looked up. "A walk? I'd like one too, actually. It does feel airless."

"Well then, let's go."

Juniper and Flitwick stepped out of the house only to be met with warm dry air. "Fiona's right. It's boiling out here."

"Don't worry. The temperature will cool quickly." Gunther said cheerfully. "Why don't we take a look at the pyramids?"

"Why not?" Without a better idea, Sprout followed her colleague in the direction of the desert. 

"Aren't you glad you took this vacation, Min?" Fiona stretched out on the sofa and sprawled out. "This is your first real one in what, ten years? Twenty? Thir--"

"I've been busy." Minerva interrupted stiffly, looking up from the letter she was writing to Professor Sinistra. 

"Not in the summer." Her cousin argued. "Come on, be honest here. Aren't you glad you came? Don't you like it here?"

"Yes, it's very nice. We haven't seen each other in years." McGonagall said. "And Egypt is fascinating. So much of wizarding history comes from here." Suddenly she asked a question that had been nagging at her all day. "How's your wand shop going? And why aren't you working there?"

"Relax, Min. My assistant's taking over for another two weeks. After all, I deserve a vacation." She yawned. "It doesn't look like I'll be getting much rest, does it? Running after old riddles written in random languages and battling Death Eaters…what fun."

Something clicked in Minerva's agile mind. "Fiona, you know when your shop was robbed?"

"Yeah."

"And the culprit wasn't--alive?"

"You still believe that?"

"Well…" McGonagall became reluctant. "Last year I broke Voldemort's wand, which was his power source…"

"So you think _he broke into my shop? As a half ghost?" Fiona said incredulously. _

"It's just a suggestion."

"You're a genius, Min. Honestly, it makes sense. Voldemort broke into my shop to look for a suitable wand, and when he couldn't find it he had his followers search for him. This would explain why Ollivander's was broken into, along with all those other wand shops!"

"How did we get ourselves into this mess." McGonagall muttered. "First wands and Voldemort and riddles…it'll be a miracle if we leave Egypt alive."

"Cheer up." Fiona said. "Think of something else. Something pleasant…like Hogwarts."

Finishing her letter, Minerva quickly set it aside. "Have you any travel-bubbles?"

Her cousin yawned. "Why?"

"I need to send this letter to a colleague at Hogwarts and it's much too far for owl post."

"Check in my bedroom. Second drawer of the nightstand. There should be three travel-bubbles in there; I bought them last month."

"Thanks." McGonagall left the room.

Two minutes later she was back, frowning irritably. "It's locked. Do you have the key?"

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Smiling sheepishly, she motioned to the fireplace. "It's behind those photos, in a little box."

Nodding, the Transfiguration teacher reached for the mantelpiece, her hands running through numerous dust bunnies before touching the box. "Ouch," she muttered, pricking her finger on a sharp object. "What's this?"

"What's what?"

"This…picture." Minerva brought the wizarding photo, which had fallen between the wall and the mantelpiece, out into the light. 

It was a photograph of Fiona, together with a young man in indigo robes and traveling cloak. His hair and his eyes were a deep black. The figures in the picture were waving happily in front of the pyramid background.

"Who's this, Fiona?" She wiped off the layered dust and walked over to the couch.

"Oh--" A weird expression came into her usually cheerful face. "That's where the photo went. I thought it was lost."

"But who is this man?"

"He was someone I knew, a classmate."

McGonagall gave her cousin's flushed face a shrewd look. "You liked him, didn't you?"

"Radu was nice, I guess." Fiona shrugged. "It's over now."

"You left him?"

"No… it's just that…"

"But you're still young. You'll only live life once and I don't think--"

"Forget it, Min. Just forget it." Fiona closed her eyes. "It's my business."

Seeing as the topic was touchy, Minerva wisely left the room. She then tucked the letter inside one of the transparent bubbles and sent it on its long journey with a prod from her wand.

Alone in the living room, Fiona lay back on the couch.

And thought.

_It was at a night class that she first met him. They both took a course called Strange Deeds and Obscure Spells to Excite the Ready Mind__ at the nearby wizarding college. __Even though he was sitting in the far corner of the classroom, nose in a tattered copy of Forgotten Myths and Lore, her eyes sought him out immediately. His timid and reticent look made him stand out from all the other chattering people. _

_For their first project they were teamed together, and after the professor's introductory speech she immediately walked over to the shy-looking young man in the blue robes. "What's your name?" _

_He replied, so softly that she had to lean closer to hear. "Radnor A-Bled, but I prefer Radu."_

_"Radu-A-Bled," Fiona said thoughtfully, thinking out loud. The name had a certain ring to it. A-Bled, A-Bled, where had she heard that before? "A-Bled, isn't that the guy that killed the dragon?--no, that's Abdul, A-Bled…I think I've heard your name before."_

_Instead of answering, Radu merely smiled and motioned for her to sit down. _

_Weeks went by, and in those days they got to know each other very well. He lent her the ragged copy of the book he was reading, as well as many others. Through them, Fiona began to develop a strong interest and curiosity for the first wand and other missing and ancient objects. _

_One day, Radu invited Fiona over. There, she met Radu's older brother, Jahu, a good-looking man, aside from his eyes, which were too close together. It was clear from the start that he loved Radu. The two brothers joked and talked like close friends, but Fiona could tell Jahu still considered himself older and therefore more superior._

_The barrier between Fiona and Radu finally broke one day when he slipped a note into her textbook, inviting her to a small dance at a wizarding restaurant. For the rest of the lesson, Fiona kept stealing glances at Radu, and his eyes twinkled back like dancing orbs. Neither one paid much attention to the professor. Sir Ingum Twinklebuckle's Principles of Backlash Armaments__ didn't seem quite so very important, anymore._

At the dance, Fiona found herself tripping over Radu's feet, but he was excellent at leading. After a lively song sung by Celestina Warbeck, he led her over to the table. 

_They started with small talk, but she could tell he wanted to say something very personal. "My ancestor invented the first wand." he finally blurted out._

_Fiona perked up. "Really?" The corners of her mouth tugged into a smile. She felt glad that Radu felt comfortable telling her what he tried to avoid at their first meeting._

_"Yeah, but I don't know where it is now."_

_"It's real? In the book you lent me, it said it was speculated to be lost, buried in the sands of the—"_

_Radu's grin broke into a laugh. "Who do you think edits that textbook? My brother Jahu, so that waves of people won't go on crusades for it. He's the only one alive who knows the location of the First Wand."_

_"Why?"_

_"Jahu's the eldest man in the family. He said he'd tell me once the time was right. I suppose I'm not knowledgeable enough, yet. Dad gave Jahu rigorous lessons in the wand's history." _

_"Of course you're knowledgeable enough! You know so much—"_

_"But Jahu's older." Radu said firmly. "It won't be my business to know until later, and when I become old I'll pass down the knowledge to my children. This is how it's been for the past hundreds of generations."_

_Lost for words, Fiona simply nodded; though she was secretly disappointed at his seeming lack of interest. If Jahu was her__ brother she'd pester him endlessly until he told. _

_ _

_ _

"Fiona! Hello? HELLO? FIONA EMHERST, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"You don't have to yell so loudly," Fiona jumped up, glaring at Flitwick."It distorts your voice so I can't hear what you're saying."

He waved a large, thick-paged book in her face. "We went to the library. It's more comfortable in there."

"So?"

"They have dictionaries there, too."

Arms folded, Fiona gave Gunther a stare not unlike Minerva's. "Your point being?"

Juniper read the title aloud. "It's a language dictionary. On Dwarfish."

"That's great. Min—get your bum over here! We've got work to do!"

"Read that bit over again, Flitwick."

"So it should be this letter."

"No, that one doesn't have the squiggle and the dot."

Fiona pursed her lips. "Of course it does, Min. You need new glasses. See, the dot's right above the loopy thingy."

"No, it's an ink stain."

"Besides, if it were that letter, the word would be shoe polish, and I doubt the riddle has to do with shoe polish."

"Er—" Flitwick scratched his head in puzzlement. "I think you're right, Fiona. It's not an ink stain…so, the word would be 'crawled' instead."

Juniper suddenly frowned. "When we finish deciphering this, we'll only have the second stanza translated. So what language is the first stanza written in?"

"We can worry about that later," said Flitwick cheerfully. "Aha! I knew this word meant 'powered!'"

Minerva was scribbling furiously, crossing out letters and rewriting every few seconds. "There! That's it, right?"

"I think so." Flitwick nodded. "Read it."

McGonagall smiled, pushed her spectacles further up her nose, and began.

_Hickory Dickory Dock,_

_The fish crawled to the rock,_

_With winking light,_

_Sparks powered bright,_

_Hickory Dickory Dock._

_ _

"That didn't make sense at all." Admitted Fiona, grinning. "Wasn't it supposed to be about a mouse?"

Minerva sighed. "Well, apparently Jahu decided to change it."

Fiona rolled her eyes. "He's lost it. Resorting to nursery rhymes for his riddles…he's really gone bonkers."

"At least we know this won't lead us into any danger like the pyramid one did." Flitwick said brightly. "Nursery rhymes are as safe as you can get!"

"I don't like it." Juniper said suddenly. 

Fiona blinked. "Why not?"

"The sparks part," Sprout was having a hard time saying what she felt. "doesn't that sound like a fire? And why use a _nursery rhyme? Why change only the middle lines but keep the 'hickory dickory docks?' Also, fishes don't crawl. They swim."_

"Ugghh!" Fiona sat down in exasperation. "This won't make _any sense until we figure out what language the first stanza's in. If Jahu were here I'd strangle the answer outta him!"_

"Where is Jahu now?"

"Dead." Fiona muttered. "Eaten by a lethifold two weeks after I got the notebook."

McGonagall shuddered. "Lethifolds. What an awful way to die."

There was an awkward silence. 

Gunther, ever the encourager, handed the scroll to Fiona. "Read the first stanza, will you? Maybe we'll get some ideas."

"Stupid phonetics," she mumbled. "I feel so stupid; but here goes—"

Her voice became softer, and the words came out. Juniper closed her eyes. It reminded her of water, so flowing and fast. 

"That's all," Fiona stopped. "What _is_ it? There are too many consonants, and it sounds so eerie."

"Library." Was all Flitwick could say.

***

Lord Voldemort leaned back in his chair, contemplating the man in front of him with a silent fury. "Beaten by three witches and a wizard, Lucius! Seven against four, and you lost! Why?"

Inwardly shaking, Malfoy mumbled something about having been caught by surprise.

"You have been trained to handle dueling situations," Voldemort snapped. "Scotis reported that you merely watched in the beginning. Is this correct?"

"M-my Lord, I wanted to see if—Scotis and the new ones were young, and I—wanted to see if they could—duel properly."

Voldemort lifted his wand. Noting the danger signs, Lucius hastened to explain. "We have the riddle, my Lord. It has not been lost. It is the clue to the next step in finding the first wand—"

"Enough! You should have destroyed the vessel afterwards! Now, due to your blundering, the ones from Hogwarts also have the riddle in their hands. Why did you not post guards around the building?"

"I—I will not fail again."

"I am disappointed, Lucius." Voldemort said coldly. "However, you have served me well over the years and I am feeling lenient today. I expect better work in the future."

"Thank you, my Lord." Lucius said.

Voldemort waved one hand carelessly. "Go on, Lucius. Read it."

The blond man nodded mutely; strange sounds and syllables came out of his mouth; rather bumpy at first, but getting smoother as he went along.

A crooked smile adorned Voldemort's face. "I like it," He hissed softly. "This Jahu—he has style." A few seconds later the smile was replaced by strong irritation. 

"No need to repeat the reading. I have the first half memorized—but—have the second half translated. I want the results in four days time, at the most."

"Yes, my Lord." Malfoy didn't dare protest.

The red eyes were focused upon the window, seeming to gaze at nothing. "Nagini," he whispered, smiling as the large snake slithered toward him. "Ah, my pet, this man, Jahu—he was ingenious all right…I am liking this."

***

"The Deluxe Dictionary: Common Languages of the Magic World, Collected and Edited by Madam Mulgrual and Her Sister Persephone." Read Minerva, placing the heavy book on the table.

"Excellent." Flitwick looked excited. 

"What if it's not written in a common language?" Juniper Sprout pointed out.

"Relax, June." Fiona had taken to calling them all by nicknames. "We'll deal with it if that's the case. Besides, the deluxe dictionary will say the words out loud, and we can match that up with the words in the riddle. See?" She tapped on the work 'dock' in the Dwarfish section, and a voice that came from the dictionary said the word slowly 

Fiona smiled. "It sounds just like when I said it. I've got a knack for languages."

Flitwick coughed. "I wouldn't say that. You haven't got the right accent at all."

"Do you?" She shot back.

"Of course, I know it."

"Oh? I wouldn't say that. You sounded pretty uncertain—"

"Alright, stop arguing." Minerva opened up to the table of contents. "We're here to work." 

The foursome worked for hours, listening to words from a variety of different languages; but none sounded quite right. Finally, Juniper found the search index in the back.

"I feel so stupid!" Fiona moaned. "All this effort, and there's a search pad?" She tapped her wand on the red glowing square, speaking aloud a random word from the first stanza. They waited. The pad grew brighter, sending sparkles of color onto the walls. It began spinning quite fast; brighter and brighter it spun, humming, then—nothing. It turned black. NO MATCH FOUND. Black letters proclaimed above the search square. SORRY.

"Sorry? That's all it can say? Sorry?" Fiona's eyes bulged out. "Stupid Jahu, stupid dictionary, stupid search pad, stupid riddle…"

Minerva looked at her cousin in surprise. It wasn't like her, to take it _this_ seriously. "It's okay, Fiona. Maybe the wand shouldn't be found. The Death Eaters are probably having just as much trouble."

"That's not true!" Fiona took a deep breath, fuming. "I _know_ the wand exists, I _know_ it's somewhere, I _know_ it can be found. I _have_ to find it or—"

"Relax, Fi." Juniper's lips twitched. "So the first stanza's not in a common language. We'll just look through some other dictionaries."

However patient Juniper was, it didn't work. The language was not found anywhere. Utterly disappointed, they staggered back home.

***

The man walked down the street. On the crowded sidewalk he didn't seem so strange, and blended in easily. But once he turned into a smaller, deserted street, the pretense of normality dropped. His dark eyes glittered like bright coals, his hands twitched in small spasms. He drew the dark cloak tighter around him, staring only at the ground; keeping to the side of the canal. 

Only a few days before the Dark Mark had been seen, floating above the houses in the street. For this reason the man was the only one walking there, but it didn't bother him._It's not my business…I'm not in this. I have no time for the petty wars, Dumbledore and Voldemort—ha. Only small game in the bigger picture. _He smiled, not a pretty smile. _It _does_ add a special slant, however, this could be interesting._ The twisted, strange mind in his head relished the thought. _I can stand by and watch, and they'll never know. I can watch and laugh; I won't help anyone—I am above such trivial conflicts…who knows, death may come in another way for that little @#*&^._

***

_A/N: Disclaimer is the usual one. So, what do you think? We're truly very, very, sorry for the months-long delay, but school's been tough. Any guesses on what the strange language is? And who's the weird man at the end?_

__

_--Jeli_


	9. Ready, Set, Go!

Late that night they left the dance and began to walk home

Needle in the Haystack IX: Ready, Set, Go!

They went to bed as soon as they got home, each person too disappointed to do anything else. In her hot bedroom, Fiona looked at the picture on her desk, then quickly shut it up in a drawer. The bed was humid, scratchy and altogether too uncomfortable. Fiona stared at the white ceiling for what seemed like an eternity. 

"That's it," she muttered angrily, leaving her room. Fiona walked into the kitchen, yanked open the refrigerator, and consumed a bowl or ice cream. Still not satisfied, she ate another bowl and drank an entire cup of lemonade. Now filled to bursting with frigid liquid, she trooped back and lay on the floor. It was cooler that way.

__

Late that night they left the dance and began to walk home. So caught up in their conversation that Fiona finally realized they had blundered into a wrong street.

"Where are we?" she wondered. The houses around them were dark, the street deserted; the entire place felt rather sinister.

"I don't know." Radu said, frowning. "We shouldn't linger about."

A raven shrieked loudly, and Fiona jumped. For awhile they walked around rather nervously, then she laughed.

"Why don't we just Apparate home?"

Radu smiled. "You're right. I feel stupid."

Just then they heard a scream from the alleyway.

Fiona spun around. "What was that?"

"Avada Kedavra_!" Though very faint, the Killing Curse was unmistakable, as was the sound of children screaming._

Radu cringed as he sped off in the direction of the voice. She tried to hold him back.

"Are you crazy? What do you think you're doing?"

"They're Muggles, Fiona! You can't leave them…" As he spoke, he gave Fiona a desperate look even though his eyes were filled with fear. Then, he wrenched his hand loose and started running.

Fiona followed.

They found themselves in a dingy old corner of an undesirable part of town. Dark as it was, they could see two lumps lying on the floor, dead, in front of two terrified children. The older girl was shielding the little boy. The robed men were amused. There were five in all and they were laughing insanely and twirling their wands. From her hiding place behind the trashcan, Fiona could smell the unmistakable stench of beer and blood.

The leader of the men stepped forward. "Well, I can't leave no witnesses. Sorry you little tykes." He kissed his wand and fixed it at the children.

"Leave them alone!"

Fiona groaned inwardly. Why do you have to play hero, she thought. Sneak surprises work just as well.

The man spun around and muttered an incantation as Radu disarmed him. When another robed man came up behind Radu, Fiona took him down with a Total Body Bind. Fighting back to back, they covered for each other as they dueled against the drunken men.

All of a sudden, one of the men jumped down from a staircase and knocked Fiona down. They grappled for a moment as the man fumbled to make use of his wand. Before he could, Fiona punched him in the jaw again and again, knocking him out. Out of breath, she sprang up only to see a big man looming her way. 

He was so massive; he blocked all else from Fiona's view. He didn't bother with his wand, but pulled hers right from her hand. Then, he began to pummel her with his fists. It seemed that if she ran, she never got away from him; he was so big. Soon she was on the floor, bruised and broken.

Then, the beatings stopped. The big man fell backwards, and she saw through swollen eyes Radu, who knelt down beside her. As he gently wiped away the blood dripping down Fiona's cheek, she could see how worried Radu looked.

"The kids?" she asked.

"They're fine. But what about you?" He peered anxiously into her eyes.

Fiona moaned as she tried to get up. "I'm fine. Everything's just a little fuzzy. I'm seeing spots and shadows…Radu!"

There was a flash of green light that hit Radu from behind as the striker ran away. Fiona crawled forward in a daze to the limp body of her best friend and cradled his head between her arms. She was too numb to cry. She just sat there. All night.

When the Hit wizards found her, they put her into a hospital. Depression should have been the norm; but eager to be released, Fiona put on a good show of continuous cheerfulness. Confused and puzzled, the nurses had no choice but to discharge her.

* * *

Fiona was up early. She climbed up the stairs until she reached the flat on the roof to watch the sunrise. It was something she hadn't done in a long time.

Quietly, Minerva observed her cousin as she sat on the roof, watching the sun. It was unusual that Fiona would be awake at this time. She wanted to ask so many questions, but decided to hold her tongue. Slipping down the stairs as silently as she had come, Minerva went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

To her surprise, Juniper Sprout and Gunther Flitwick were already there, stacking warm bread high on a plate, along with lots of fresh figs.

"That looks absolutely delicious," Minerva commented as she grabbed the morning paper.

"It is," Flitwick said, as he ate two figs. "Real good stuff. Juniper baked the bread, but I took care of the fruits."

Juniper asked, "Where's Fiona?"

"I'm sure she'll be down in a moment."

"Well," said Juniper, "after breakfast, we should head over to the library again."

The sound of footsteps from the stairs made Minerva look up. "Good morning, Fiona."

"Hey," her cousin replied, brightly. To Gunther, she said, "save some breakfast for me."

"Plenty for all."

Minerva sipped at her coffee. "We made plans to go to the library."

"Sounds good," said Fiona, between mouthfuls of bread and figs, "but if we hit a dead end, a second-hand bookstore would be the place to go. They've always got bizarre stuff there. I once found a book that taught me how to enchant my microwave so that it could play the telly while I waited for the food to heat."

Minerva grinned. "Perhaps there will be books on instrumental wands. I've still yet to figure out the C sharp major scale and arpeggio."

"Why C sharp?" Gunther asked.

Fiona whispered, "Don't encourage her."

"All orchestras tune to C sharp in the wizarding world. The Muggles prefer A."

Juniper off-handedly commented, "Minerva the Musician."

Minerva interrupted hastily, "Tangent."

"Yeah," agreed Fiona ruefully, "You're right. Sorry. Let's get back on track, then."

"We already looked through common languages with no success. It means the stanza's written in a very rare tongue." Juniper said. "We'll just have to figure out which one."

"How?"

"Just think of the most bizarre languages you know.

We'll brainstorm." Juniper, ever the patient

Hufflepuff, took out a quill and parchment. "Well, any suggestions?"

"Portugese" said Fiona, immediately. Gunther gave a short laugh.

"Magical ones," said Juniper patiently.

"I'm telling you, it's bizarre. The tenses boggle my mind."

"But it's not uncommon." 

"People in Portugal speak it. Portugal's itty-bitty. So it's uncommon."

Smiling, Minerva said, "You forgot about Brazil, and we're off on another tangent. Rare, magical languages, please."

"What about Augury language," said Flitwick, "Their cries drive me crazy."

"Not to mention they foretell rain. I was in a rainforest once-they went berserk, there."

"It's possible Jahu had an Augury." Sprout said, writing it down. "Anything else?"

"Unicorns."

"Dragons."

"Mermish?"

"We looked that up already. It's not Mermish."

"We don't even know if unicorns and dragons can talk."

"Parseltongue."

"Doubt it. Only one in one-point-three million thousand people can speak it, or something like that."

Pushing the scroll in front of Fiona's face, Juniper said, "Read it again."

"I've been reading this forever. You really ought to learn Arabic."

"Just read it!"

Raising an eyebrow, Fiona gave Juniper a doubtful stare. "Right, okay." She began to read.

The words, which were soft and fluid, seemed to string together with a very snaky pattern that gave everyone eerie chills up their spines. Minerva exchanged glances with Gunther.

"Doesn't that sound like Parseltongue?" Juniper interrupted Fiona in the middle of a sentence.

She glared at her. "How should I know? I don't speak it."

"Voldemort does." Minerva pointed out.

"So he should have no trouble with this riddle." Juniper said. "What about us?"

"We can't exactly go up to Voldemort and ask for his help." Said Fiona. "We're stuck."

"Harry knows." Said McGonagall.

"Who's Harry?"

"Harry Potter. We'll contact him and have him translate for us. It shouldn't be a problem."

"How? We aren't supposed to Apparate internationally, and getting International Floo Powder will take too long."

"It's not difficult." Flitwick piped up cheerfully. "Fiona can read the riddle, I'll record her, and send the recording off in a Travel Bubble. We should have the translation in a day or two."

* * *

"It's here! It's here!" Fiona yelled from downstairs, waking up the household from a sound sleep. Since she had been waiting eagerly for the mail, she decided to stay up all night. "It's finally here!"

"Fiona?" A bleary-eyed Juniper blundered into the room. "The sun won't be up for another two hours or so."

"Harry sent back the translation!"

The effect was instantaneous. Two seconds later Minerva had appeared in her tartan bathrobe, closely followed by Flitwick who was wearing green and blue striped pajamas.

"Let's read it." Gunther said excitedly, all of his sleepiness forgotten.

__

The Duck and the Bug went for a walk

To fetch wine from the city of water

The Duck climbed down and the Bug rowed on

And they both went swimming together.

"It's Jack and Jill." Juniper said, quietly, a small frown on her face.

Fiona sang out, "Thank you for reminding us of our childhood!"

"So we've got two riddles in the shape of nursery rhymes." Said Minerva. "Are you sure Jahu isn't playing a trick on us? Nursery rhymes?"

"Let's do this logically." Said Sprout. "This riddle comes before the other one, so we have to figure this out before the other one."

"The Duck and the Bug, the city of water." Said Flitwick. "What are they?"

"The Duck and the Bug," repeated Fiona. "That sounds like a brand name or something."

"They went to the city of water. So that's where the answer is, I think—let's figure that one out first."

"City of water…" Fiona mumbled, racking her brain.

"Maybe it's under a lake or something, a place where mermaids lived."

"What is it with you and mermaids?" Fiona said to Flitwick.

"They cook fine stew." Said the Charms scholar. "When we were young, my cousin and I'd visit the mermaids every time we went up to the lake."

"That's great, Gunther." Said Fiona hastily. "But do they have wine down there?"

"I'm not sure."

"They don't drink wine. Or any other kind of alcohol." McGonagall answered.

"Atlantis." Suggested Juniper.

Minerva shook her head. "The line reads 'The Duck climbed down' and from Atlantis, the only way to go is up."

Grabbing an atlas, Juniper flipped it to the region titled 'Middle East'. "It seems," she said as she traced her finger around a blue circle labeled 'Mediterranean Sea', "that we are looking too far from home. There are lots of bodies of water in and near Egypt. Firstly, there's the Nile. And then, there's the Red Sea and the Mediterranean-"

Gunther knitted his eyebrows together in puzzlement. Tracing in the air, he mumbled aloud, "Italy…but the Mediterranean's near Italy. Egypt's all the way here."

Juniper looked patiently at him and Fiona just shook her head with amazement. They both started to chuckle.

"Perhaps you'd better check the map, Gunther."

"If you go from one of the ports in Italy and take a nice long boat ride across, you'll be in Egypt in no time."

Fiona whistled between her teeth in mock exasperation. "People always seem to think Egypt is in the middle of nowhere. They never really get how close Africa is to Europe. Just because we've got pyramids—say, Minerva, where are you going?"

"We are going for a boat ride."

"Now? It's not even six in the morning yet!"

McGonagall grabbed her wand and tucked it deep into the folds of her garments. "Fiona, the sunrise is a beautiful thing to see. If one tips the ferry man enough, we can rent a boat and be there in no time."

"But where are we going?" Gunther asked.

"To Venice, the city of water." Minerva replied, as she folded up Harry's translation as well as the 'hickory dickory dock' riddle and handed it to Fiona. "You ought to keep this."

Hesitating, she grabbed the instrumental wand lying on the coffee table, hoping Fiona wouldn't notice.

"Why is that necessary?" Fiona grumbled, pointing at the slender tube in Minerva's hand.

"Well," her cousin replied, a little hurriedly, "It's still a lengthy trip even if we use a bit of magic, so I thought I'd bring this along to practice." She glared at Fiona. "Are we all ready?"

She looked around. Gunther and Juniper were wearing grins on their faces.

"Are we all ready?" Minerva repeated, as she headed for the door.

Fiona strode up to her cousin. "That depends."

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked, irritably, as she turned the doorknob. "I've got the riddle and my wand. Let's go."

Smirking, Fiona opened the door and gestured with her arm. "Be my guest." She held the door for Minerva. 

"But you should realize people in Venice do not walk around in their nightgown and bathrobe!"


	10. Bug Beer

"So this is Venice," asked Gunther Flitwick, excitement showing from the squeak of his voice

Needle in the Haystack X: Bug Beer

"So this is Venice," said Flitwick, excitement showing from the squeak of his voice. Taking off his sunglasses, he did a three-sixty pirouette to fully take in the view.  
"Yeah, whoop-de-doo. Watch out for pick-pockets." said Fiona, more grumpily than she meant to. After all, she'd been stuck in a boat for hours. To add to that, she was slightly seasick from being on the Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea before finally reaching Venice. And with Minerva shrieking on the instrumental wand for the whole trip ("Don't you know those things are addictive, Min? Stop before you're totally out of control!" She had then tried to tug the wand out of her cousin's hands, but with no success), Fiona's ears were sensitive and sore, furthering her discomfort. 

"Enchanting," breathed Juniper Sprout, watching the gondolas glide by.

"Awesome," piped Gunther Flitwick. His nose caught the aroma of olive oil.

"To business," ordered Minerva McGonagall. She fumbled in her backpack and drew out a map. 

They checked into a wizarding motel. Flitwick was thrilled that he got his own room, complete with complementary fuzzy blue slippers and back-scratcher; Fiona grumbled about crowded living conditions with two other bodies. While she complained, she set down her luggage, which was jammed into her backpack. Meanwhile, Juniper was airing out the room, which smelled like bread mold.

Minerva attempted to talk to the clerk, moving her hands into funny shapes and making sketches in the air. He spoke no English, so she only baffled him completely. _Those crazy tourists._

"Need some help?" Fiona strode over. 

"Yes, before he thinks I'm mad and evicts us from our rooms."

"But he'd only throw you out. Then, I would share that miniscule bathroom with one less person, and that would make Juniper glad, too."

"I was asking about the Duck and the Bug, Fiona."

Fiona translated Minerva's question. To her surprise and dismay, he knew nothing about it. However, there was 'The Goose and the Fly', a popular art gallery three blocks away from the motel.

After asking several of the motel staff, she still drew a blank.

"No good," she moaned. "He's never even heard about it. He's a wizard, he'd know. We're searching in the wrong place, Minerva. You were wrong."

"Perhaps 'The Duck and the Bug' is a rival hotel, so they didn't want you to know about it. Or it's possible they've never heard of "The Duck and the Bug". We should ask more people," said Flitwick, in a display of logic and excuses. He still very much wanted to stay in Venice, at least until after dinner. 

"Why would it be a hotel?" muttered Fiona. "How do you know it's a place, and not a thing. Besides, no one's ever heard of 'The Duck and the Bug.' See, it shows we're in the wrong place."

"It just sounds like a place," Juniper said, simply.

Minerva disagreed. "But the riddle says 'the Duck and the Bug' went for a walk'. Perhaps it's a person. Or something that is motile."

"With a duo identity?" muttered Flitwick, shaking his head skeptically. "One moment, the chap's waddle-y, and the next moment, he goes all pesky. That doesn't make any sense at all!"

They pondered this over at dinner. Flitwick wished his friends would relax and enjoy the night atmosphere. To get to the restaurant, they took a gondola, but Minerva and Juniper had been too wrapped up with the riddle, and Fiona was too glum to delight in the boat trip.

In fact, Juniper and Minerva were still brainstorming the possibilities of what 'The Duck and the Bug' could actually be.

Fiona took a sip of wine. "Hey, Min," she said suddenly, as she sloshed the red liquid around in the glass. "Fetch wine!"

Putting down her fork, Minerva took the wineglass out of her cousin's hands. "I think you've had enough of that. "

"No, honestly, Min. We've got to find all the places that sell wine! Search the pubs, _osterias_, and _enotecas_! Don't you see? 'The Duck and the Bug went for a walk, to fetch wine from the city of water!' It works! You were right, Min, it is Venice!" She flashed a huge smile at her companions.

"I still think you've had too much drink," Minerva said, returning the grin.

She paid the bill. Fiona gave a large tip. They left the restaurant, excited and thrilled. 

They wandered about, enjoying the night atmosphere, full of people and aglow with lanterns strung along the bridges and walkways. Flitwick insisted that they find a _gelateria_ so they could sample the ice cream. He offered to treat everyone.

After exploring the city, Juniper suddenly noticed they were in a dark and unlit neighborhood.

"Minerva," she said, "I don't think we should be here."

Instantly, Fiona tensed up and peered behind her shoulder.

Flitwick finished up the remainder of his cone and licked his fingers. "That's okay. We'll just retrace our steps and end up in the friendly part of town."

Already, Minerva was consulting her map. She turned it ninety degrees, then crooked her head to the left, and then flipped the map over. 

"I'm sorry," she said, looking worried. "I've no idea where we are."

Fiona turned pale. "Did you hear something?"

Flitwick shook his head. Then, he fished into his jacket pocket and brought out his wand. 

"Don't," said Juniper, putting a hand on his wand arm. "We shouldn't unless we need to. Magic will attract unwanted attention."

"Well, then, we'll just have to do things the Muggle way." Minerva walked towards a dilapidated store and pushed open the grimy door. 

"What are you doing?" hissed Juniper. "There are only drunkards in there!"

After surveying the pub, from the unfocused eyes of unshaven men slumped over the table to the cracks in the walls and ceiling, she smiled. "Don't worry. Gunther will protect us." Minerva beckoned at Fiona and Flitwick, who were still standing outside. 

"This is no place to ask for directions," grumbled Flitwick, as he took a whiff of the powerful smell of whisky. "And there isn't even a decent tankard of Butter Beer! Outrageous!"

"It's a Muggle bar." Juniper pointed out. Then, she turned to Minerva. "Why are we in here.? This place is repulsive."

The Transfigurations professor looked up. Perched on the wall was a rotting wooden sign with a peeling picture of a yellow bird and a red ladybug. Even though Minerva couldn't read Italian, she knew instantly that the black lettering read "The Duck and the Bug".

"Things are looking up for us," she remarked.

Fiona jumped into action. She took out the riddle, both parts. "Okay, we're going to be very busy with 'crawling fishes', 'hickory dickory docks', and ducks and bugs that went swimming together. So, we ought to memorize this rhyme so we won't have to keep on referring to it."

"Read it aloud," prompted Minerva.

__

Hickory Dickory Dock 

The fish crawled to the rock

With winking light, 

Sparks powered bright 

Hickory Dickory Dock.

"And here's the second stanza: 

__

The Duck and the Bug went for a walk

To fetch wine from the city of water.

The Duck climbed down and the Bug rowed on

And they both went swimming together.

Flitwick scratched his ear thoughtfully. "You could have read it slower."

"We need to go down to the wine cellar." Juniper said, rather loudly to be heard above the din. "Fiona, tell the bartender if we could see the vintage wines."

The bartender was the only man who wasn't drunk. He did have a beer gut and a tattoo mural cascading down his left arm. In his opinion, he thought it looked rather impressive.

"Sure, right down those stairs," he grunted in flawless English, as he led them to a corner not inhabited by intoxicated customers. "You know, a chap asked to see my stores just recently. It's the beer; great stuff, it is; if you pour in some gasoline, it tastes just dandy. Mind you, that's a trade secret. So how 'bout a drink, eh?" He winked at Fiona. 

She kicked him hard and ran down the stairs. Shrugging, the bar tender returned to his counter. 

The cellar was dark and even gloomier and dirtier than the upstairs. Flitwick procured some light immediately with his wand.

"That's a lot of booze," said Fiona. Large racks along almost every wall contained vats of vodka, barrels of beer, firkins of firewater, and little casks of cognac. One had leaked a puddle of frothy gray liquid, which several rats were eagerly sipping up.

"We're looking for a raft or boat," Juniper said, as she searched through the shelves of tuns and kegs. "Something that can be rowed."

Flitwick whistled "row-row-row-your-boat" and Minerva sneezed. 

"I'm allergic to dust."

The Charms professor conjured up a hankie. 

"Bless you!" said Fiona, as Minerva sneezed again and blew her nose.

She took a step forward, tripped over a hogshead of hard cider, and stumbled into the wall, her chin jamming into the plaster. 

Rubbing her chin, Fiona looked up. "Dumb wall, stupid, stupid wall…wait—"

"We've found our oar."

It was long, brown, and very ordinary; probably used by a boatman. There was a thick layer of dust on it, aside from five spots that were clean. 

"What do we do?" said Juniper. "Pull on it?"

"Yeah, maybe it's a handle that will lead us into a secret chamber, like in the movies."

"Let's do it," said Fiona, as she reached for the pole. "On three, okay? One…two…three…"

Minerva found herself in a cavern filled with knee-deep water, murky and black. A rowboat had been provided for transportation, with regular oars. 

"Portkey," she commented, looking into the dark tunnel that they would soon have to travel.

Flitwick, slipping his way over, toppled face first into the dirty water. "Nasty," he exclaimed, shaking water from his robes, "I swear there's gasoline in there."

"Not so loudly," whispered Juniper, even though she knew that only they were in the cave.

"Yeah, you'll cause a cave-in."

They clambered into the rowboat and began their trip down the black river. As they entered the tunnel, all light, even the glow from Flitwick's wand, vanished. All that could be heard was the ping of dripping water, like an uneven metronome. 

There was a heavy thump, and the tiny craft jerked and threatened to tip. Fiona leaned on the other side to balance the boat. 

"We hit something big."

There were two faint pops coming from Minerva's direction. "It was a stalagmite. There are more. Two on the left, and one on the right."

"Too bad you can't talk when you're a cat," said Fiona, smiling weakly even though no one could see it. She gripped the sides of the boat tightly. "Then, you could be our guide."

A flapping sound from above made Juniper start. Bats.

The boat jolted again, and this time, there was the sound of cracking wood. Cold water started leaking in.

Flitwick waved his wand around in circles and mumbled something intelligible. Juniper could suddenly hear the wooden stick whipping around, making a whistling sound. 

"What did you just do?" demanded Fiona nervously.

"I say, it's working already," commented Flitwick, sounding much more cheerful, as he got to work patching the shattered bottom.

"What?"

"My ears are ringing," said Minerva. "No, I'm giving off the pings—oh Gunther, you didn't!"

Fiona asked, "Didn't what?"

"We have bat vision."

"More correctly, Minerva," said Flitwick, "Bat hearing. I mean, if they can hear where there are going, than we should, too. When in Rome, do as the bats do."

"We are in Venice," grumbled Fiona.

But even so, she had to admit that that was pretty smart on Gunther's part. They could detect objects in the tunnel and then maneuver out of harms way.

"I think the water's getting deeper," said Juniper, frowning.

"We must be getting farther into the cave."

"Hey, did you hear that?" said Flitwick, as he tugged his ears, which had become elongated like a bat's.

"It's quite a distance away, but it's coming closer," said Fiona, taking out her wand. "And it's big."

"Row faster," urged Minerva, "We're nearing the end of the tunnel."

"It's disappeared," cried Juniper, shocked. "I can't echolocate it anywhere!"

"I doubt it left," said Minerva, scowling, as she kept rowing.

Flitwick's eyebrows raised and his eyes became very round. "It's under the boat!"

As if to punctuate that statement, a sharp horn pierced the side of the skiff, ripping off most the wood. The boat instantly filled with water.

Fiona screamed as she and everyone else tumbled into the river.

It was pure chaos. Minerva swam as fast as she could towards the bank and safety, the water churning turbulently around her. Juniper was right beside her. 

Then, a huge wave crashed overhead, submerging everyone. Taking a deep breath, she swam deep enough under the surge, trying to making the air last.

She found the bank and pulled herself onto the dry ground, panting hard. Looking back, Minerva saw the creature, which resembled a massive shark with two heads and many tentacles. She'd never seen anything like it before.

And wrapped tightly in each tentacle were her friends. Minerva pulled out her wand, and shouted a Stunning Spell.

To her horror, nothing happened. Her eyes widened as she realized she'd brought the wrong wand with her. She'd brought her instrumental wand.

To Be Continued…

__


	11. Fluffy Again

Needle in the Haystack XI: Fluffy Again

"Minerva!" Fiona yelled, struggling fruitlessly against the monster's tentacles. "Do something!"

"I can't! It's the  wrong  wand!" There was the sound of thrashing water, and someone screamed. 

For the first time in her life Minerva seriously thought all was lost. Her real wand was nowhere to be found. _Well well well, isn't that interesting. This is great, I can play the b-flat minor scale now, I'm good. _McGonagall blinked in confusion. This was not a time to think about music. _Come on, try it, maybe this time you'll get "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" right, and without squeaks._

"Shut up!" Minerva hissed to herself, frantically thinking. The monster was slowly submerging and taking her friends away. 

_Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are_..."I must be going crazy,"  Minerva said with surprising calm. The surface of the water was now quiet, the monster had gone down. 

Suddenly, without thinking about it, Minerva obeyed the wand's command and put it to her lips. She began to play "Darling Clementine." When that was finished she started to improvise, playing any note that came to mind. The water in the tunnel bubbled furiously. The wand let out a wailing note, a high G. Three tentacles emerged, then the monster's head. Minerva saw her friends, limp and motionless. With all her strength she played a loud A major scale, up and down, up and down. 

_Pwwaaaatttttzzzssss!_ Flitwick coughed up a mouthful of vile black liquid, causing the monster to tighten its grip. But Minerva began to weave a snake-charming song, and the tentacles loosened. "Keep playing!" Fiona gasped, spitting out the disgusting water in her mouth. 

"Play Happy Birthday." Flitwick suggested, carefully slipping away from the drowsy monster.

"Frere Jacques." Juniper untangled her tentacle and swam towards the shore.

"Hot Cross Buns." Fiona's tentacle was still rather tight, so she closed her eyes, dipped below the monster, and swam a distance until she was free.

"I'm a little teapot."

"No way!" Fiona coughed.

"Shh!" Juniper collapsed onto the bank, covered head to toe with mud.

"Mary Had a Little Lamb."

"London Bridge is falling down."

"Waltzing Matilda."

One by one they named all the dinky songs they knew, and Minerva played them in a row, face red and fingers moving quickly. Once they were all together Juniper suggested Brahm's Lullaby, which Minerva managed with lots of squeaking. The monster's head sank below the surface as he fell asleep, and his body followed.

"That's enough, Min." Fiona used her wand to place a Cleaning Spell on her robes.

"See, the wand came in handy." McGonagall was shaky and out of breath.

"The monster will sleep for some time now, let's keep going."

"Yeah, and keep that wand handy, just in case!"

"What about my real wand?"

"I have it." Juniper took it out. "It hit me on the head, and I managed to grab it before the monster got me."

"Now what?" Minerva asked, happily pocketing her wand.

"The boat's gone; let's walk along the bank until we get to the end."

Their bat abilities were still intact. The end of the tunnel was not far away; straight ahead was a sparkle of light which led to the outside. They tried to walk fast, but the mud made it difficult. Pretty soon Juniper gasped. "Over there! And there! And there!" She pointed to the waters around them, which were suddenly full of the shark-like monsters.

"Use the wand, Min!"

Once again Minerva blew into the wand, this time a simplified version of Fur Elise. They walked on; a crowd of monsters gathered to their left but kept their distance. "I think they're following us," Fiona said. At that moment Minerva stopped her playing to take a breath, and the monsters drew in tighter. "Don't stop! They can't get near us as long as you keep playing!"

The sunlight up ahead was now the size was a coin. Down the tunnel they went; avoiding the worst of the mud and being serenaded by the wand all the while. About a dozen monsters followed them. Fiona realized with amusement that they were staring at Minerva almost with awe, like one would look at a goddess. When she pointed that out ("Minerva is the Roman name for Athena, after all.") Minerva's face grew scarlet and she blew a screechy A as loud as possible. 

Soon they could see trees and a waterfall at the tunnel's end. Fiona, who had never been so happy in her life to see sunlight, turned to her cousin with a big grin. "Play a gigue for us, Min!"

"Yes, something happy." Gunther agreed. 

McGonagall complied by playing a Latin dance tune. The water in the tunnel turned frothy as the monsters moved in what seemed like a dance; curling their tentacles around and bobbing their heads. Fiona, Juniper, and Gunther were laughing hilariously; and Minerva's face looked red as a cherry. About five meters away from exiting the river, the monsters suddenly disappeared without a sound.

"I guess they don't like sunlight," said Juniper breathlessly, stepping from the tunnel's interior and emerging into the sunshine. They were all a little giddy from the music and the monsters. Before them was a path which wound sinuously into the woods.

"That was great, Min!" Fiona exulted. "That horrid flute came in handy after all."

"Thank goodness we had it.," said Gunther, changing their ears back to human ones.

McGonagall put down the wand with a sigh. "It's addictive. I wasn't myself when I played it. I don' t want to use it anymore."

Fiona glanced around them. "Where are we? And what about the tunnel we were in?"

"No idea," Flitwick said. "But look!"

Straight ahead was a stake driven into the ground. On the top was a board with these words written on it: YOU WILL FIND THE FISH UNDER THE SAND.

Fiona made a face. "We're back again with the fish."

"Read the second stanza again, so we don't forget," Sprout said. 

"Alright. _Hickory Dickory Dock/ The fish crawled to the rock/ With winking light/ Sparks powered bright/ Hickory Dickory Dock."_

"So we're looking for a crawling fish," Juniper said thoughtfully. "Why would it be crawling instead of swimming?"

"We'll deal with that later," Fiona pointed to their left. "There's the sand. I guess we should dig around under it."

In the ground was a circle of soggy sand with little puddles of water in it. The four searchers squatted around the sand. Fiona prodded it with her finger. "It's just sand."

_Whoosh!_ Without warning Fiona was whisked by some magical force into the pile of sand, head first. The sand gurgled a bit, then became still.

"Fiona!" They yelled, horrified, and as all three bent forward instinctively, they too were drawn under the sand.  


	12. Hickory Dickory Dock

Needle in the Haystack XII: Hickory Dickory Dock

            The journey through the sand pile was like diving into a vat of kitty litter. Luckily, the trip was brief and soon everyone found themselves waving their arms and pumping their legs, treading water, as grits of sand washed out of their eyes and ears.

            "This isn't bad,' comment Fiona, as she did a couple somersaults in the water. "I think I rather like this."

            That was the oddest part of all. Despite being underwater, it was perfectly okay to breath normally, talk, and even walk around once you swam down to the sandy floor.

            Minerva was already inspecting the marine topography. Scattered upon the bottom were tuffs of coral, sponge, and rock artistically strewn with seaweed, while tropical fish traveled in schools, dodging all around. 

            "This is like the Caribbean vacation I never had," remarked Flitwick cheerfully, as he bent down to pet the fish.

            "Actually," broke in Juniper nervously, "this feels more like a fish tank. Look, the rocks are arranged to form a sort of barrier. And these species of seaweed here," she pointed to three different kinds, which looked exactly the same to everyone else, "come from opposite ends of the earth."

            "Sure, that's nice," muttered Fiona absentmindedly, "but we're looking for crawling fish, remember. So, I think it best to spread out. Min and I will take this area with all the rocks, and you guys can search over there by those large wavy plants, okay?"

            The wall of rocks encompassed an area of water roughly the size of Flitwick's classroom. While Flitwick was on his knees, observing fish behavior (perfectly normal), Juniper was half-heartedly sorting through the lengths of seaweed covering the boulders, feeling sillier by the minute. 

            "Fish swim, they don't crawl," she muttered to herself. "Besides, we don't even know what we're looking for."

            "Maybe we should try to catch some fish," Fiona suggested, rolling up her sleeves.

            "I wouldn't do that, those teeth look sharp."

            "_Stupefy_," Fiona shouted, ignoring her cousin completely. A large angelfish stiffened and she bent to pick it up. "I wonder if we're supposed to look inside the fish?"

            "No," said Minerva, stiffly.

            "Well, the riddle said '_the fish crawled to the rock'_, so I think the fish is supposed to lead us to the rock where the clue is hidden." Juniper paused in thought. "Perhaps we could try the _Claritis_ spell to make the rocks transparent."  

            "Alright then, let's—ouch!" Fiona glared at the fish, which was swimming away. "It bit me!"

            Minerva sighed and shook her head.

            "Well," said Fiona, annoyed, as she bandaged her pinky, "we've looked everywhere. Every blinking corner. The fish simply aren't crawling." She sent a nasty but temporary fin-binding charm at the fish which bit her to accent her irritation.

            Flitwick surveyed the area beyond the enclosed circle they were in. "We haven't looked there, yet." He made his way over, but when he tried to cross the line, an invisible force threw him back as harshly as an irate Whomping Willow.

"Never mind," he moaned, before pulling himself up. "Whoever charmed this place was very powerful. Or, his Wand was."

 "Jahu had it. I bet he used it, just to make it tricky. He didn't want it found too easily by someone outside his family."

Juniper regarded her with an odd expression. "How did you get a hold of his notebook again? You talk as if you knew Jahu personally."

"Educated guess," said Fiona, and refused to say more, despite everyone's further prodding. 

"What's that ticking sound?," said Minerva suddenly. She could not find the source of the noise; it seemed to come from all around. 

"I don't hear anything."

"Listen. It sounds like a clock."

Fiona was still frowning. "Whatever it is, it's not very important. Let's get on with that _Claritis_ spell."

Nodding in agreement, Gunther pulled out his wand, which was tucked behind his left ear. 

"We should mark off the rocks we've looked through, so we don't repeat the spell on the same rock." Juniper Sprout sensibly put in.

They started with the biggest boulder and worked their way down by size, turning the rocks crystal clear one by one, but finding nothing.

"Not one single clue, and we've looked through half the rocks already," complained Fiona, stopping to rest. She blinked wearily, "What time is it anyway? How long have we been down here?"

Minerva checked her watch, the only one that was still working. "It's four fifty-one in the morning, and we've been here an hour and—oh—twenty-nine minutes."

"You're kidding. I wish—," but whatever Fiona did wish, it got swallowed by an enormous yawn that escaped from her mouth and bubbled its way upwards.

"Listen."

The slight ticking noise, which had been in the background, suddenly rose until it was not only audible, but loud and insistent. It pounded in their ears, and drummed in their skulls. 

"It sounds exactly like a clock," Minerva said in alarm, without knowing why she was alarmed. She glanced at her watch and the urgent ticking matched her second hand click for click. 

"We should leave," said Gunther, quickly. "I don't like this—"

He ducked as a giant boulder exploded with a bang, violently showering them with slivers of stone.

"_With winking light, sparks powered bright_…" Juniper cried, her anxiety growing. More and more rocks were bursting into glimmering fragments that glowed like hot embers, and the monotonous pounding like the deep bass drum made her heart jump.

            "_Hickory dickory dock_—it's a time bomb! Get out, get out now!"

            "_The fish crawled to the rock_," mouthed Juniper, frozen. Her eyes caught something red among the blinding white sparks that erupted all around them. It was a starfish. 

            She lunged for it, but Fiona held her back. The starfish scuttled away. "Are you crazy. We've got to go."

            "No, stop," she panted, shouting over the clanging ring of the persistent beats, as she tried to pull herself from Fiona's grasp. "It's a starfish we're looking for." 

             Minerva smiled and mouthed, "I should have known," Flitwick looked delighted, and Fiona immediately let go of Juniper to start searching among the rubble. All the while, rocks were going off madly, sending sprays of stone and spark all around them, muddling their vision.

            Suddenly, a deep bell tolled three times. Gasping in surprise, Juniper found herself inhaling water as a sudden, tight pressure clamped down on her throat. She tried to perform a Bubble Head Charm, but opening her mouth meant swallowing more water.

            Then, a flash of red, and the starfish darted towards a tangle of seaweed. Juniper forced herself to follow it, despite the pressure in her lungs that was increasing each second. Grabbing and missing each time, she found it harder and harder to see. Her vision was blurring terribly, and her head was throbbing. Just as her hand grasped the starfish, the floor trembled and the whole chamber detonated violently, as debris pierced her flesh and clouded the water. 

            She choked; she couldn't help it. So this was what drowning felt like. Then, there was a tug on her robes, and she found herself being pulled through the sand pile.

            "Juniper!" The voice went into a coughing spasm, and someone shook her wildly. "Say something."

            "Stop shaking me," she moaned, feeling sick. She bent forward and threw up a lungful of water. 

            "Are you alright?" Minerva was hovering anxiously over Juniper, her hair dripping puddles into the other woman's ear. 

            "Fine, fine," mumbled Juniper, batting Minerva away. "I've got the clue."

            At this, Fiona brightened. "Awesome," she grinned, gripping her friend in a giant bear hug. "I was about to go back for it."

            "The place completely exploded," remarked Minerva, as she helped Juniper to her feet, "when the clue was removed." 

            "Then the Death Eaters will never find the First Wand," Fiona sang, happily tossing the starfish, which was plastic (and had been briefly charmed to life), up and down. "There's nothing left for them!"  
            


End file.
